


For Love

by Syn2554



Category: B.A.P, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:20:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 45
Words: 173,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21558448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syn2554/pseuds/Syn2554
Summary: This was rush-uploaded from AFF at midnight so PLEASE message me if something seems off/out of order :D
Relationships: Bang Yongguk/Choi Junhong | Zelo, Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Jung Daehyun/Yoo Youngjae, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Himchan/Moon Jongup, Kim Seokjin | Jin/Kim Taehyung | V
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue - Bonded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi and welcome to For Love! This fic is from Asianfanfics and I had a 4 year hiatus, but now it's back, hopefully to be completed and posted by Christmas. I'd love to know what you all think!

“Jung Hoseok.”

I was so tense with anticipation that my fists were clenched at my sides; even the way I stepped forward was stiff. Finally, it was my turn. How did three full terms pass before my eyes? Already, my classmates and I were graduating and receiving our first – and possibly final – assignments. With the surname ‘Jung’, my name came up almost last. I’d stood and watched my fellows step up at the sound of their name, accept an assignment, receive a brand and disappear from Heaven to carry out their duties. Trembles climbed my spine as I met eyes with our Maker and I felt my feathers stand up like the hairs at my nape.

“Your assignment involves a single mortal boy, nearing his twenty-second year.” His words were so final as he directed them at me. I nodded once, hearing those words over and over in my head. “His name is Min Yoongi and he resides in the United States with an adopted sibling, Jeon Jungkook.” I committed those words to memory, despite not yet having any idea of their significance. “Min Yoongi’s father, now deceased, was a mortal Demon Hunter of notable rank. He earnt many favours from Heaven, one of which you will fulfil. Knowing his life was often in danger, along with that of his wife, he requested that his son be assigned a guardian in the event of any threat coming to his life. As you have no prior associations with humans, Jung Hoseok, you will be bonded with Min Yoongi from this moment onwards.”

My heart thudded. Bonded… I was destined for a life dedicated to protecting a human from demons. I honestly couldn’t imagine a greater honour. I bowed 90 degrees, accepted my mission – my fate – and stepped forwards to receive my brand and take the first steps as an earth-bound angel.  
I placed my hand over that of my maker, palm up, and watched as the skin of my wrist formed a blackening mark. At first there was no feeling, but suddenly an overwhelming rush of dizziness took over and I swooned.

“You must learn about this boy and approach him carefully. He is in the dark about the spirit world.” Colour began to leak from the edges of my vision, dragging even more indeterminable shapes from surrounding fluffy, white clouds; I blinked, but it didn’t help. “The fewer humans you reveal yourself to, the better. His life is now in your hands, Hoseok. You are responsible not only for his safety but also for his wellbeing. Do your maker proud.” With that I suddenly fell, dragged in a terrifying vortex towards earth by my spirit-bound human boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. INDEX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the index/glossary/Demon Log ^-^ 
> 
> Read or not, your choice, but I won't be explaining all of this in the fic. Being a supernatural fic in a world I'm creating as I go, I think I need to clarify some things before I move on. I'm not one of those amazing writers that can blend it subtly into the fic without a lot of planning, and well, I'm too lazy to plan.

First of all, Angels (and the occasional other spirit) come from heaven, and Demons come from Hell.

 **Archangel:** The 'captains' of the Angels, these spirits are the most highly trained of all, and have lived long, successful lives. They're the wisest teachers and most senior warriors Heaven has to offer. Archangels are assigned to young Angels to keep them on track.

 **Angel:** An Angel is basically exactly what you'd assume. Winged human, comes from heaven, does good deeds, has spirit powers, very generally good. They're educated on humans as well as all spirits and Demons and taught to defend themselves, mostly for protection purposes. They can wield powerful spirit magic, the most potent of which is healing, which can only be used on humans.

  
 **Cambions:** The art I made for the cambions is hopefully explanatory enough for what they look like. These demons will play a large part in this fic so I want to explain them fully. Now, a cambion is a child that is born from two mortal parents, and is therefore physically mortal; HOWEVER, their spirit, or soul, is that of a demon. This is due to the way they are conceived, and passed through demon bodies to become how they are. Complicated stuff, I tell ya. I read that this is how it happens:

Because of this inability to create or nurture life, the method of the creation of a cambion is necessarily protracted. A succubus will have sex with a human male and so acquire a sample of his sperm. This she will then pass on to an incubus. The incubus will, in his turn, transfer the sperm to a human female and thus impregnate her.

We're talkin' some serious weird demon shit right here. Super cool, however. Sexy demon stuff. Anyway, this is the way two of this story's trouble-making demons were born. Physically, they are mortal, but their immortal souls shine through their brightly coloured eyes and hair, and like their incu/succubus parents, they're pretty insatiable in the bedroom.

 **Demon Hunter:** A Human who hunts Demons will sign their soul to a creed. The initiation for the creed is to drink Demon blood (likley Vampire or Werewolf). Once the Demon blood journys though their system, they undergo a very slight transformation. Nothing physical, just the ability to sense and understand certain hellish spirits in a way normal mortals cannot. Obviously, this is a useful tool for one wishing to hunt them. Technically, this turns the human's soul into a 'half demon soul.'

 **Ghoul:** An undead Demon associated with graveyards. They consume human flesh.

 **Incubus:** A Demon in male form who is said to 'lie upon' (that's the literal translation from Latin LOL) sleeping humans in order to have sexual intercourse with them. The female counterpart is a succubus. Repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result to the deterioration of health and ultimately, death.

 **Lilith:** A Demon who was once a human and whose pride and rebelliousness caused her to be condemned to spend eternity in Hell. She is in (unrequited) love with Lucifer, and willingly does his bidding. She created a race of demons called Nosferatu--pretty much for attention--and that failed, so she created Vampires and Werewolves. Lucifer was impressed with these demons, and granted Lilith power and control over many of the laws and rules which Demons must follow. She was also granted passage from Hell to Earth as freely as she pleases.

 **Lucifer** : Satan's true name, Lucifer is the ruler of Hell. He is a Fallen Angel whose envy and jealousy of humans and pride against The Maker lead him to be cast from Heaven.

 **The Maker:** A deity. God, if you will.

 **Nosferatu:** A demon which is kind of just an undead, blood-sucking zombie, to be quite honest. Lilith created Nosferatu as her first attempt at creating a race of demons, though they did not meet Lucifer's expectations, so Lilith created the Vampire and the Werewolf, and Nosferatu are now a dying race that basically linger mindlessly around in Hell. (sounds like me tbh)

 **Quarter Demon Soul:** Were a Demon Hunter to procreate with a human, the child would be what's known as a 'quarter demon soul.'

 **Spirit:** A spirit can refer to any creature that is from a realm other than Earth (Heaven, Hell, etc.), though it may also refer to the consciousness or personality of a human or spirit. Yeah, spirits have a spirit... sorry about that. I'll also use the term 'soul' when confusion may arise. The two are interchangeable in this fic.

 **Spirit Bond:** A connection between a human and a spirit. Depending on the spirit, the formation of such bond comes about in different ways. An Angel can be bonded with a human were The Maker to will it so. If a Werewolf imprints on a human, it will be bonded. These bonds are one-sided until a human makes the conscious decision to seal the deal through sex, or what werewolves call 'mating.'

 **Succubus:** (See Incubus)

 **Vampires:** Pretty much as any other Vampires (I know it all differs so let me give you the low down of my Vampires, just in case ;3 ) A Vampire is a Demon, created by Lilith as an improvement on her demon race 'Nosferatu.' They feed on human and only human blood and are biologically similar to humans, though stronger and faster etc. They can appear completely human, and when they feed, their skin takes a pale, grey tone and black veins rise to the top of their skin. Fittingly, their eyes glow red. You'll be glad to know they don't sparkle ;) They can reproduce as humans do, and can reproduce with humans. That being said, just like werewolves, they can be 'native' born, and can also be 'changed' through a bite. Vampires cannot enter the home of a human without the permission of a human who lives there.

 **Werewolves:** The werewolves in this world can be explained using the picture of Jimin I used for my foreword. Firstly, as in the opaque picture, they can appear completely human. Secondly, they can shift into a form which is called 'Anthrokos', which is related to Lycanthropy, which obviously comes from the Ancient Greek lukandthropos. Anthrokos form consists of the golden-eyed look that Jimin and Taehyung have in those pictures on the foreword. (Blue eyes for the natives in Daehyun's pack). In that form, their canines extend and they have acces to greater speed and strength. For my werewolves, this is their most natural form. Wolves born as werewolves will feel quite comfortable in the third form, known as Lupe, from 'lupus', which is literally the species epithet for the Grey Wolf. This is the form you can see where Jimin is a black wolf, and Taehyung is a grey wolf with red markings, and the form Jungkook meets 'Dooley' in. Since Taehyung was born human and bitten by a werewolf, he finds himself preferring the human form to Lupe. The final form for werewolves is the Lycan, or Lycanthrope, a typical, wolfy-human beast that stands on two feet and is represented in movies etc. I view them similarly to how they appear in the 'Underworld' series, appropriately terrifying.

The pack-leader is called an Alpha, and his/her children (heirs) are called Betas. Only a wolf of Alpha blood can change a human into a werewolf. Non-Alpha or Beta bites will kill a human if they are not changed.

Other explanations:

In this story, demons and most other spirits live off energy obtained in specific ways. Of course for incubi and succubi, it's through sex with humans (as for cambions, though they need it much less, as their mortal bodies can be sustained in the traditional way. That doesn't stop them craving, however.) Vampires, through blood, werewolves through the moon, angels through doing 'good deeds', like succeeding in their missions and making humans and spirits happy/safe etc. etc. etc.

I mention how humans can be 'marked' in the second chapter (third? idk), and this just means their aura (visible manifestation of the spirit/soul) shows an 'awareness' of the spirit world. Demon Hunters, quarter demon souls, or those simply unfortunate enough to stumble across a Demon (and probably get attacked) will all be 'marked', and then spirits will be able to detect in their aura that human is aware of the spirit world.

Demons are not allowed to interact with humans who are not marked. This is a rule set by Lucifer and reinforced by Lilith. Demons who attack humans that are not marked are hunted down and, without a good explanation for breaking the rule, are killed immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know there is a lot to cover, and I'm not sure how in depth the fic will go into everything like Heaven and Hell, but it's all really interesting to me since I love fantasy and haven't written it since middle school (homeschool OTL) when I wrote a vampire story (GDI Twilight). Hopefully my poor betas can keep up with my crazy, disconnected ideas, and this story won't send us all into confused seizures.

I don't think there's anything else too important, but I won't hesitate to add more to this if there are more things my readers aren't understanding. I hope this helps and not everyone ignores it LOL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. My Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

Having never been on earth, I couldn’t get a handle on anything right away. The way darkness fell across its surface for several hours at a time, during which most humans retreated to their homes, was the first odd thing I noticed. I soon found out that it was their preferred resting time, which was conveniently when most human activities like ‘shopping’ and ‘working’ could no longer be carried out due to the closing of businesses. They called these darkness and lightness cycles ‘night’ and ‘day’ respectively. 

The next odd thing I noticed, which took much longer for me to adjust to, was human behaviour. Humans had such a diverse range of emotions, expressions, behaviours and interactions that I sometimes lost myself in attempts to understand them. It took me off guard when they resorted to anger, rudeness, and aggression at seemingly minor things. At the same time, they could be so easily persuaded by honeyed words and material things. They were so complex that it took me months of quiet observing before I could bring myself to approach my human, Min Yoongi, for the first time. 

During the day, I took the opportunity to get to know my human before I decided when would be the best time to introduce myself to him. Yoongi seemed quiet and aloof, compared to many of the other humans with which he interacted. He had a genuine smile, but he tended to reserve it for his brother, Jungkook. Jungkook was different to Yoongi in every way––looks, attitude, and behaviour––but they were as close as I expected brothers to be, despite being unrelated. 

I spent the dark, quiet nights socialising with other earth-bound spirits I encountered in my first months. The very first spirit I noticed was a demon, a young Wolf named Jimin who had bonded very early with none other than my human’s younger brother. To Jungkook, Jimin was a stray puppy named Dooley, and his absolute best friend. From the moment I met the demon, I knew he had nothing but good intentions. He had imprinted on Jungkook and, like me, was bound to the human for life. That made my job easier; Jungkook had a demon protecting him, and even if he was young, it would take the brunt of the job off my hands. Of course, Yoongi was my priority, but there was no way I would be able to disregard the one life my bonded human cared for the most. 

Jimin’s friend Taehyung was another Werewolf, though not yet bonded and, therefore, much more wild and uncontrollable. He was very fond of fraternising with humans, though he never went as far as to reveal himself. He knew that was forbidden. Like Jimin, he was amused by my lack of knowledge; however, they both respected me as much as any well-trained Angel deserved, never going against my word or even daring to test me. Clearly, they weren’t stupid.

Other Demons I met were less friendly. A pair of shit-stirring Cambions began to linger around my human’s suburb as soon as they discovered he had myself assigned to protect him. The cheekier, taller one was Byungjoo, an over-confident demi-demon with styled lilac hair and deep purple eyes. Byungjoo’s smaller, prettier, partner in crime was Hansol, whose ash-blonde hair always looked fluffy and well styled, and whose golden eyes almost shone as brightly as Taehyung’s in his Anthrokos form. They lingered around Yoongi like flies, only because it frustrated me, and took my attention away from him more than I wanted to admit. Honestly, they were a pair of bored, earth-bound troublemakers, and they weren’t the real threat. 

The real threats didn’t linger on earth. They weren’t half-mortal, like my begrudged friend cambions. They weren’t sworn to protect humans due to an unbreakable bond of love. They were selfish, hungry, evil Demons that lusted for human blood, flesh and souls. 

Vampires, of course, were the primary feeders on human blood, the most potent threat due to their attractiveness to humans, and their ability to live amongst them in peace. For their flesh, humans had many Demons to fear.

There were those who would feed on them literally, attacking and eating them, such as revenants and other ghouls. There were others who preyed on human flesh in an entirely different way: Succubi and Incubi. Like Vampires, they could also take human form and were masters of seduction. I’d had to fend off only one in the months before I approached my human. 

Many Demons were hungry for human souls, some for sustenance and some in the pursuit of resurrection. Despite all of the evil spirits who had it out for the demon hunter’s son, two months on the job and I hadn’t yet slipped up. The first mistake I had to clean up was my first interaction with my charge. 

~

I didn’t like the idea of asking for ‘help’ with how to approach him, as I had only spoken with a total of four humans in my two months on earth. I gave in, however, and brought up my concerns while spending an evening in the forest by Yoongi’s house with Jimin and Taehyung.

“You’ve been up in Heaven so long you don’t even know how to have a conversation?” Jimin joked, grinning at me with childish mischief and chubby cheeks. 

“Humans are much too complex,” I complained. “He doesn’t say much when he talks to others, so how am I supposed to know what to say to him?”

Jimin shook his head. “How does anyone know? If you meet an Angel for the first time, what do you say to them?”

I figured he was right. I just had to be friendly, right?

“It’s not difficult to say hello, you know,” Taehyung mumbled, sitting with his legs gracefully crossed on the buttress root of a very old tree. His bright orange hair bobbed as he looked up at me, his self-confidence radiating from his tone, his pose, and even his expression.

I smiled a little. “What do you know? You just sniff each other’s butts.”

The pups laughed heartily at that. 

Taehyung didn’t always bother helping me out when we discussed things like this, though his help could have been of even more use than Jimin’s. Jimin was born a Werewolf and has had to adjust to living with humans in a similar way to myself, whereas Taehyung was bitten as a young teenager, so was raised as a human. Sometimes I feel as though Taehyung could have made my life a lot easier, but simply couldn’t be bothered.

~

I decided, with Jimin’s advice, to approach my human in a casual situation. Hansol and Byungjoo thought it might be fun to involve themselves in that discussion, and the latter volunteered the idea that I pose as a student at his college. I didn't mind them around so much when they decided to be helpful. 

Yoongi’s lunch break on Mondays was an hour-long gap between lectures, half of which he spent eating and reading from a large book, and the other half either sitting in front of his class to continue reading or wandering around the halls and listening to music. I took it from Jimin that an easy way to start talking to somebody, and make it last, is to ask for their help. 

According to Taehyung, I didn’t know how not to wander around looking lost, so it wasn’t hard for me to act the part. I met the human’s eyes once when I was still a good fifteen feet away, but he glanced away a moment later and continued walking down the hall. If I let him pass me I might never approach him, so I took my chances and headed towards him. 

“Excuse me,” I said in the language I knew he preferred, the language of his upbringing as opposed to that of the country. His eyes met mine once more, and I suddenly felt a spark, not physically but somewhere in my soul. It was like nothing I had ever felt or could even begin to describe, almost like it wasn’t my emotions I was feeling. 

Curved almond eyes held mine, curiosity swirling in them as he pulled his earphones from his ears. I wondered if it was the language that had grabbed his interest and made him stare into my eyes in a way I’d never witnessed. 

“Y-yes?” he replied hesitantly in his native tongue, as though he wasn’t sure he should. He buried his earphones and the device attached in his black, quilted leather jacket pocket. 

“You look nice today,” I said with a smile, and suddenly his brows rose like I’d said something odd. 

“As opposed to last time we met?” he asked, which confused me further. 

“I don’t think we’ve met before,” I replied, suddenly nervous that I had indeed slipped up and said something odd. 

“My point exactly…” a slight blush rose to his cheeks and he ducked his head, still holding my eyes like he was uncomfortable.

Well, lesson one––learnt the hard way––don’t take short, friendly complements from other conversations and assume they work in every situation. Humans have frustratingly conditional language.

“I-I was looking for the Arts department building,” I suddenly said, hoping it would rescue me. 

“It’s on the other side of the car park past the ancient history block,” he said, more confidently. “Do you know where that is?” 

It was against everything I stood for, but I shook my head and lied. Yes, I knew where the Ancient History block was, and no, I wasn’t lost, but this was the best way I could think of to get close enough to my human for him to trust me. They were white lies, really. 

Yoongi glanced at his cell phone and then back at me. “I can take you there; I have almost half an hour to kill.”

Somehow, despite my awful conversation skills, I managed to set the plan in motion.   
Yoongi wasn’t a talkative perosn, but he was better at small-talk than I was. He asked me what I needed to do in the art department, and after I hastily told him I was meeting a friend there, he asked me what I studied. 

“A-art,” I managed to force out, feeling like that would be a believable response. 

Yoongi’s smile was tiny and undoubtedly amused. It made me smile as well. 

“Can you draw?” he asked, meeting my eyes again. He always seemed to break our eye-contact first and I had to remind myself that humans found extensive eye contact confronting. The way he had looked into my eyes only minutes earlier still lingered in my mind, and it was difficult to discern why he had stared intently then, but was finding it too strange to do now. 

“Yes,” I replied, directing my gaze ahead to give myself something else to look at. It was completely overcast and a little misty, but I could make out the car park we had to cross to get to the destination where, no doubt, Yoongi would leave me. "Can you draw?” I asked him, glancing over at him for just a moment and, when he didn’t meet my eyes, looking back ahead. 

“Not really... I’m too impatient.”

I smiled and nodded, something I’d seen humans do though I still knew not why. 

“What do you study?” I asked, though of course I had already figured it out.

“Music and Film,” he said, “and English, to keep me on my toes.” With that, he directed a gummy smile at me. The spark I felt that time definitely belonged to me. That was the smile he reserved for his brother, and I felt honoured to have it aimed in my direction. He spoke so happily in Korean, and I figured it was that he was feeling so glad about in that moment. 

“You’re not good at English?” I asked. The lies we’re flowing better now. 

“I moved here from Korea only a few months ago and… No, I’m not good at English at all.” He smiled as he said it, though it was a dark kind of smile; his lack of English understanding frustrated him. 

“Why did you move here?” That was the first thing I asked about Min Yoongi that I truly didn’t know. 

“To… get away… I-I…” As he struggled to find a way to say it, I felt a stirring inside me that clenched very gently at my heart, like a whisper of pain that I couldn’t quite identify. The masked look of sadness that crossed my human’s features suddenly brought some of my training to my attention.

If I recalled correctly, there was a lot that came with the responsibilities of being a guardian. The few hints I’d felt during my exchange with Yoongi reminded me that bonded Angels possess the ability to access their human’s emotions, and when they’re intense––such as fright or pain––an Angel will feel their human’s emotions, whether they try to or not. The hidden pain that I saw on my charge’s face… I felt it in my soul. 

In a moment of panic, I attempted to reassure him; if I was feeling his pain, it must have been hurting a lot. 

“It’s okay; you don’t have to tell me…”

He was silent for a while, maybe another twenty steps, and a hollow look occupied his features for the most of it. 

We crossed the car park, and suddenly Yoongi decided to speak again. “If you see me around, say hi; there aren’t a lot of Koreans in the area.” And with that he tapped the ‘Art Department’ sign that I hadn’t realised we’d stopped beside. I nodded and agreed with a smile, but he left quickly, shoving his earphones back in his ears and burying his hands in his pockets. I watched him, deeply upset that I couldn’t help him at all. The loss of his parents wasn’t something I could heal.

~


	4. Farfetched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

For the first time, I intentionally skipped my lecture and went home. That stranger––emphasis on the ‘strange’––had brought up a topic I’d been avoiding like the plague. Having very few friends here, there wasn’t anyone who had asked that question yet, and of course Jungkook never brought it up either. I wasn’t in a state of ignorant bliss; I’d faced the reality and I’d mourned. We still mourned, but that didn’t make it any easier to think about.

Leaving Korea was the first step to recovery. After three weeks in the States, Jungkook was finally smiling again. It was the first time I could honestly see us getting back to normal. 

Things only got better from then on, but sometimes there were little reminders that brought it crashing back down on us. The first thing that reminded me was filling out forms for enrolling in high school and college… I got stuck on writing ‘deceased’ in the ‘parents’ section on my baby brother’s forms. Jungkook was an orphan before my family adopted him, and I couldn’t help but think it must be worse for him to have lost two families. 

“I never really knew my real parents, Hyung,” he assured me, but whenever the topic came up, I’d hear him cry about it at night.

Just when I thought I couldn’t do it anymore––when I lost all hope that I could help Jungkook recover and bring him back to me––he found a puppy lingering on the streets near our house. I hated animals, for no reason but they frightened me. The first time I saw him with the fluffy black puppy, his eyes were filled with concern, which was something I seldom saw on him. 

“Hyung, I think he has no home…”

“Jungkook!” I had shouted, but I tried to drop the scolding tone that I’d recently developed. “What are you doing? We can’t just keep a wild dog.”

“What if he’s just a stray? We can’t just leave him…” Jungkook dropped his gaze to the fluff ball in his arms and the puppy’s huge, yellow eyes met mine in a confronting way. 

“Jungkook…” I sighed, defeated. 

“Please, Hyung! I’ll get a job and pay for him! And I’ll train him and clean up after him and wash him and-”

“Fine! Fine. But the moment you let any of that slip, I’m kicking it out.”

Since then, Jungkook had been very vigilant about keeping his puppy in order. He’d never broken any of the rules I set, and the dog was almost more obedient than Jungkook was. It just kept growing like a weed, though, and I worried I’d have to get Jungkook a bigger bed just to accommodate them both. 

It wasn’t like Jungkook needed to get a job; we had all the money we needed and plenty of savings. I let him work outside school times just for the experience and to teach him a little discipline. It meant, though, that I was left in the house a lot more often, alone with the rapidly-growing puppy. He had named it Dooley, because it was his favourite cartoon character as a child in Korea. 

That day, after assisting that odd art student at college, Jungkook had an afternoon shift at work and I arrived home from my classes a little after three. As usual, I was greeted by loud, excited barking the moment I turned the keys in the lock. Dooley bounced around me like a rabbit until I succumbed to patting his fluffy head and mumbling a greeting. He was really getting big; his head was almost bigger than mine and we had only had him for around three months. His rounded ears stood up at attention almost all the time, and his tail, eternally wagging, was long and just as fluffy as the rest of him. 

“What kind of dog are you, anyway?” I rhetorically asked him, slumping down on the couch and pulling my laptop out of my bag. Dooley jumped on the couch beside me and lay on his side. Sometimes it seemed like he was watching what I was doing. I would have thought it odd, but I didn’t know enough about dogs to decide whether or not it really was.

I searched ‘dog breeds’ in Naver, and scrolled down a few pages full of pictures and descriptions. Most domestic dogs looked nothing like Jungkook’s dog. They had rounded heads and chubby bodies with proportionate feet and tails. Dooley was still a pup, but his low-set, round ears; his long, narrow snout; his slim, streamline, straight-backed body; his shaggy thick coat; and his long, powerful legs were just nothing like the dogs I was finding online. 

“You must be a mutt,” I said, and Dooley let out a whine and crawled on his belly towards me. I stroked his head, between his ears, and he closed his piercing yellow eyes. 

I relaxed back into the couch and turned the TV on, absently continuing to stroke Dooley’s soft, jet black fur. Nothing of interest was on at this time, so I left it on a random channel and went to make a start on dinner. 

Jungkook was due to finish work soon, and I’d have to leave to pick him up from work, so I put all the ingredients I’d prepared away in the fridge and washed my hands. From the living room, I suddenly heard Dooley whining, and I glanced in his direction. 

“What are you-” I began, but on the television was what looked and sounded like a documentary on wolves. Dooley was facing the TV intently, staring forward with his head resting on his paws and his ears pricked up. I glanced between him and the grey beasts on the television, a nervous realisation hitting me when their similarities became obvious. That slim body, those huge paws, that angular face, those piercing, bright eyes… Dooley looked terrifyingly like a wolf. 

“Shit,” I suddenly cursed, covering my mouth and doing a few panicked circles on the spot. I didn’t want to believe it so I researched a little more. Could he be one of those snow dogs that looked like a wolf? I compared him to so many photos, but it only solidified my suspicion. Jungkook had adopted a wolf.

~

I met my brother outside the diner at which he earnt his casual pay. I began walking the moment he greeted me, my arms crossed over my chest holding my jacket closed. 

“Hyung?” Jungkook asked, picking up on my mood. 

“How was work?” I asked, hoping to save the conversation we needed to have until we got home.

Jungkook talked about his shift, keeping us distracted. When Dooley greeted us at the door, I waited for Jungkook to put his things down and crouch in front of his pet. 

“Have you ever thought about what kind of a dog you adopted?” I asked him, glancing at him through the dim twilight before I had turned any lights on. 

“Um… I don’t know…” 

I flicked the hall lights on and asked: “What does he look like to you?” 

Jungkook was thinking hard, probably confused about my bitter tone. “Uh… A husky?”

I shook my head. ”Huskies have a curling tail, a shorter nose, and they’re never all black. Dooley is not a husky.” Jungkook stared at me until I continued. “Kookie-yah… Dooley is a wolf.”

Jungkook’s brows knitted together and he looked back at his puppy. Dooley tipped his snout up and licked my brother’s chin. “So?” he suddenly said, like he hadn’t heard me right or something. 

“Wh-… What do you mean so? Jungkook, he’s a wild animal! Wolves are nothing like dogs. That’s like bringing home a mountain lion and keeping it like a kitten. He’s still growing; can’t you see that?”

“Yeah… but he’s my dog…”

I felt my face fall at his tone. I was going to destroy him if I made him get rid of Dooley. 

“Jungkook… he’s a predator. Can’t you see that he could be dangerous?”

“Hyung, he’d never hurt me. You’re not afraid of him, are you?”

“Well… No, but-”

“Hyung, please... He doesn’t have anywhere else to go…”

Dooley sat very quietly, just watching the exchange with his bright, intelligent, amber eyes.   
“You know I’m just looking out for you, Kookie-yah… And your ‘dog’ is gonna double in size before he’s fully grown. How are you gonna afford to feed him? Where is he gonna sleep? And what if he gets sick? Do you think a vet is gonna treat giant black wolf with a tummy ache?”

“I don’t know!” Jungkook suddenly shouted, and Dooley shuffled forwards, burying his giant head under Jungkook’s chin. My brother wrapped his arms around the mountain of black fur and pressed his face against it. “You can’t take him from me,” Jungkook croaked, and that was the end of that argument for me. I was done making him cry. If all I could do was make him happy then that was enough. I sighed and left him with his beast, grumbling to myself that I would never have children. 

Jungkook stayed in his room for the evening until I called him out for dinner. His four-legged friend followed at his ankles, or more like at his thighs, and lay obediently beside him at the table. I didn’t mind him feeding Dooley while he ate, in fact I often piled his plate higher to compensate. It almost crossed my mind to literally give the wolf his own serving. 

Half way through our meal, Jungkook apologised. 

“I know you don’t like animals, and I know he’s really big and… I didn’t exactly give you a choice…” 

I shook my head and glanced down at the fur ball on the tiles. “He’s a part of the family now,” I admitted. “And I know he wouldn’t hurt us. Just don’t talk about him to your friends, and don’t take him to any dog parks… Who knows, he’d probably eat the neighbour’s Chihuahua.” 

Jungkook chuckled as he offered Dooley a chunk of ham.

“Thanks Hyung,” he said quietly, and his smile made me forget every second of pain I’d felt that day. 

~

I had one morning class on Tuesday, after which I tended to study and work on assignments. There was not a lot of point being at home when there was nobody there except the dog, and I’d get distracted much too easily. In the library I had no reason to do anything but put my head down and study, so I did. 

For a few hours I just worked on my latest film script, happy to have silent time to think by myself. It was past three in the afternoon when I found myself losing concentration. I didn’t notice a thing going on around me until my wandering eyes caught sight of a familiar face: that odd guy from yesterday, sitting by himself on a double couch with his legs crossed, his attention directed out the window to his side. I didn’t look away––didn’t even consider it––he looked kind of… gorgeous.

Like the first time he approached me, I found myself staring, a little baffled by his presence. His flawless, symmetrical features and slim, athletic figure were characteristics you didn’t see every day, especially on such a well-dressed student. He seemed to have everything while he sat there, the sun giving his golden-bronze skin a soft glow, with his misleadingly pretty side-profile on full display for me. He was dressed in a white zip-vest over a long-sleeved white shirt and white skinny jeans, his slim body managing to effortlessly pull off the look. If it weren’t for his startling awkwardness, I’d be somewhat confronted by his existence.

I packed up my things quietly in order to attract as little attention as possible, and thought I should head to the cafeteria for food, or maybe into town to visit Jungkook at work and eat with a discount. As soon as my bag was packed, however, I found myself putting one foot in front of the other in direction of that student. It was a toss-up between sitting down beside him and pretending to be busy, and approaching him with confidence. 

“Uhh,” was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I made my decision. Calmly, he pointed those almond eyes at me and my gaze dropped to the floor. 

“Hello,” he said in a friendly tone. After a second I met his eyes again and he stood up and offered me a small bow. I bowed back, genuinely surprised and flattered by his honorific greeting. It felt comfortable to bow; it was a habit I wouldn’t feel right falling out of. The American students around me made it seem like a strange thing to do; I often gave them a nod of recognition instead of a wave, just out of habit. It was times like these when I realised I didn’t care what they thought, this was my culture.

“I-I was just about to get something to eat,” I said, beckoning in the direction of the library’s exit. Even his pose was immaculate, straight back and strong, level shoulders. He smiled, though it looked a bit like a smirk. 

“Ah, really? Well, I guess I’ll see you later…” he answered, and I was surprised he didn’t catch on to my invitation.

I smiled, confused by my thudding heartbeat. “Well, if you want, we could go together,” I managed to say, feeling a little embarrassed. The look on his face implied that he’d suddenly understood, and he quickly agreed, so I turned to walk beside him. 

“I’m Yoongi, by the way. Min Yoongi.”

“Jung Hoseok,” he said, looking straight ahead and then suddenly at me. “Nice to meet you.” His tone was so formal and it made me wonder about him.

Jung Hoseok. I repeated in my head a few times. 

“What were you working on in the library? An assignment?” 

“Uh, yeah,” I said, glancing up to meet his gaze for a split second. “I have a pretty big film assignment to finish but it’s looking pretty good.”

“That’s good. Have you finished classes for the day?”

“Yeah, I just had one class but I figured I should do my assignment.”

“Is your home too far away to travel? Or would you rather study in the library?” I was glad he was chatty, because I couldn’t think of anything to talk about. Not in a ‘he doesn’t interest me in the slightest’ way, but more like ‘wow, I probably shouldn’t ask him why he’s so good looking, but it’s the only thing I can think right now.’ 

“I’d just rather study in the library. That way I don’t have too many distractions, and I can pick my brother up from work on the way home instead of taking two trips.”

“Where does he work?”

“At that diner on the corner of Hall Street… It’s close to his school.”

Hoseok nodded thoughtfully and I took the opportunity to keep talking while there was something else I could say. “I do live nearby, though, barely a ten minute bus ride or half an hour if you walk.”

“Do you ever walk?”

“No,” I admitted and Hoseok breathed a laugh. “D-do you live nearby?”

The question seemed to stump him and I got a glimpse of the nervous guy I met yesterday. “Uh… no, I… don’t live that close.”

I just nodded, wondering if there was a reason he had to think about that. 

There were a few moments of silence as we neared the queue for the chain-cafe I usually ate at. I lined up and Hoseok stood beside me a little awkwardly. His pose was so rigid that he looked like a security guard, and his eyes wandered with almost enough focus to be scanning our surroundings, as though he had something to look out for. 

I ordered a toasted ham and cheese sandwich––a very western food that was really different here to in Korea––and an Americano. 

“This one's on me,” I said to Hoseok, in English, when the cashier asked me if that was all today.   
He stared at me, seemingly lost. “On you?” he suddenly questioned, and glanced at the patiently smiling girl at the counter. 

“I’ll pay for your food,” I clarified in Korean with a grin. 

“Ah, I’m fine, thank you,” he said quickly, in English, and his flawless American accent caught me off guard. The confused cashier told me how much my meal would cost and I paid. I figured she was as stumped as I was, mostly that he couldn’t understand the common phrase when his English was immaculate. I waited for my food beside him, and his body language slowly began to relax. 

When I got my food, I led him towards a table beside a window. It wasn’t peak time, so the cafeteria was scarcely littered with lecturers drinking coffee over newspapers or assignments to mark, and a few students who, like me, hadn’t really found time to eat earlier. 

Hoseok slid into the chair across from me and sat so beautifully straight that his vest stretched tight between his shoulders. I didn’t want to stare at his chest, but for a few breathtaking moments, I did. I was startled when I met his eyes, only to realise he had been looking at me. He was smiling, confidence suddenly lighting up his handsome face. He was giving me serious whiplash. 

I had planned to ask him if he was okay, but the past few seconds had thrown that out the window.

There was no point in refusing the obvious; I found Jung Hoseok pretty nice to look at, and it had been a while since I’d been so suddenly attracted to anyone. For lack of finding some way to ease the tension I was feeling, I began to eat, leaving it wide open for him to start the conversation again. Thankfully, he did, though his choice of conversation was questionable. 

“When are you planning to go home?” he asked, his hands resting on his knees and his shoulders rolling forward a little. 

“After four, I suppose, since Jungkook finishes work at five.”

“Your brother?” he clarified. I nodded. “How old is he?” 

“In The States? Sixteen. But he’s a young sixteen. He was treated like a baby his whole life… and I guess I still kinda treat him like a baby…”

“So you look after him and spoil him? I’m sure he doesn’t mind that too much.” 

I smiled. “It gets on his nerves at times.” 

“What does he do that makes you feel like you have to baby him?”

“He’s so reckless…” I began, but the list went on and on. “He’s never careful and doesn’t seem to think about what he’s going to do before he does it. He’s the total opposite of me.”

“Tell me about yourself, then.”

I stared at him, momentarily stunned by what sounded like blatant flirting. “Uh… I’m… I’m a careful person, compared to Jungkook. But I have to be; I have to look out for him, since he can be such a handful.”

Hoseok nodded, holing my eyes until I couldn’t bear to look in his any longer. He broke the silence after it had well surpassed awkward. 

“‘Careful’ can’t be all you are; what do you like?”

“Ah…” I had to think about that. “Music, I suppose, and…” I chuckled and finished with “…food.” He didn’t find it as amusing as I did––in my opinion, my pathetic life had its charms––but he seemed to just be smiling whenever I was. I didn’t want to let myself believe it––it seemed so farfetched––but it was as though he was as suddenly infatuated with me as I was with him. I didn’t have any kind of self-consciousness, or any reason to be surprised were someone to like me, unless they were someone like him. His perfection became more and more blazingly obvious every minute I spent with him, to the point where he sometimes intimidated me to silence.

“What do you like?” I suddenly asked, feeling like I should at least pretend I had my act together. 

“Me?” he said, and he leant back, his broad shoulders once again catching my attention as he sat up straight against the plastic chair. “I like life.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. My brows creased slightly but I felt a smile creep into my features. What a positive, almost inspiring comment. I wished I could have come up with something that interesting. Just as I was about to delve into my depressingly shallow pool of small-talk topics, he dragged me back with another impossibly flirty comment. “I like you.” 

My jaw dropped. 

I wished I’d known this guy longer. I wished I felt like I could joke with him and brush that off. He couldn’t mean it. How could he?

“Was that unexpected?” he suddenly said. “I’m sorry… I don’t talk to a lot of humans.”

My absently-open mouth suddenly closed and I stared a little longer. His choice of words was amusing at the best of times. 

“Humans,” I said.

“O-other humans… People? ‘People’ is a better word, isn’t it?”

I nodded slowly. “‘People’ is a much better word.”

He smiled slightly, embarrassed, and I smiled back. My heart was still thumping from his confession, but I tried to put that behind me. He wasn’t great with conversation; maybe he just meant it placidly... he likes me as a friend. 

“A-anyway… If you’re not going home for a while, can I stay with you?”

Stay with me. The way Hoseok spoke started out as strange but became increasingly endearing as we talked. 

“You wanna hang out?” I said, choosing to use slang so he would pick up on it. He nodded curtly, his eyes full of hope. I smiled, “I guess.”

~

After spending some time with him, I learnt a little about him, but it only made me want to know more. He told me he hadn’t been in The States long either, but hesitated before saying that he, too, had come from Korea. He was one hell of a mystery to me and I tried to come up with things to ask him without prying. For starters, how was his accent flawless if he’d only just arrived?

We sat together in a coffee shop at the edge of town after walking for around half an hour, and I had finished my coffee a while ago when my phone buzzed on the table. It startled Hoseok, which amused me so much I giggled as I answered the phone. 

“Hyung, should I wait for you?” Jungkook said, and I gasped, glancing at the time on my phone. I brought it back to ear and apologised profusely.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes, Kookie-yah, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” he said before I hastily hung up and dug in my pocket for my wallet. 

“I should have watched the time, shit,” I grumbled as I placed some bills on the table for our drinks. “I’ll see you at school, Hoseok-shi,” I said as I bolted out the door of the coffee shop into the autumn evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	5. Troublemaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

Staring at the notes on the table, I took a moment to figure out what they were for. After a few seconds I remembered what I’d learnt while studying humans––that in these times they dealt in money––and that these beverages probably cost something. I glanced around, and luckily there was a short, female human at the counter, handing some notes to the male who had brought us our drinks. That must be where I hand them in.

I was surprised when the human at the register called me back as I began to leave, seeming alarmed. I went back to the counter and he handed me a note and some coins. I stared at them and then back up at him. He smiled and wished me a good day, so I thanked him and reluctantly left.   
This whole ‘human interaction’ thing was going to take me a while. The sooner I could reveal myself to Yoongi, the sooner he could help me with it instead of allowing me to make a further fool of myself. 

In the meantime, I had to make do with a pair of cambions who would likely give me the wrong information for their own entertainment, and I had the wolves. 

In the thicket behind Yoongi’s suburb, I met said wolves at our favourite place; as deep and concealed as possible. Jimin knew Jungkook and Yoongi would stay out for dinner this evening and we had at least an hour to spend together before he had to be back in the house. I sat with my legs outstretched across a fallen log and my cramped wings draped lazily over my shoulders. I hadn’t flown in much too long, and concealing them was beginning to take its toll on me. As much as I loved to be around my charge––to sit where he could see me or, even better, where we could talk––I craved these hidden moments where I didn’t have to keep them cooped up. 

Jimin lay on a pile of leaves that resembled a nest, wearing only a pair of sweat pants which he tended to stash inside the old log on which I sat. I wondered if he cared that they stank like mould and body odour. Taehyung, on the other hand, spent much more of his time in human form than Jimin, and was almost always well dressed. Both wolves were relaxing in their Anthrokos form, sporting shining amber eyes and dog-like canines, but resembling humans otherwise.

“What embarrassing messes did you get yourself into today?” Jimin asked when our comfortable silence stretched out a little too long. 

“Ugh,” I began, and he chuckled.

“That’s encouraging.”

“I always manage to say something that makes him look at me like I’m strange.”

“You are strange; you’ve got bird wings between your human shoulders and you wear the same clothes every day.”

“I am not strange,” I bit back. “I just wish I could tell him…”

“Well, you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“You’re not being helpful,” I grumbled.

“If you want me to be helpful, how about we do this: let’s establish an alias for you.” My silence, as usual, alerted him to the fact that I had no idea what he meant. “Let’s think of things to say when he asks you questions you can’t currently answer.” 

“Such as?”

“Well,” he began, sitting up from his leaf-bed and holding up his thumb. “What would you say if he asked where you live?”

Suddenly I realised what he meant. “Ah… Those sorts of questions…”

Jimin chuckled. “You say that like he has already asked you that.” I met his eyes with an almost guilty look. “Oh god, what did you say?”

“I… said I don’t live close...”

“This is going to be more difficult than I thought.”

~

I didn’t bother packing my wings up when Jimin headed back to Yoongi’s house; I left them comfortably folded behind my shoulders as I walked with him to the backyard fence. Taehyung decided to tag along, mainly because he would be spending his night on the town anyway, and may as well spend the last of the afternoon with his friend.

“Goodnight,” Jimin said simply as he sprung effortlessly over the wooden paling fence and then threw me his track suits. 

I shook my head as I folded them for him. “Goodnight, Jimin.”

I sighed and sat down on Jimin’s folded clothing, my back to the fence. Glancing upwards, I realised I really did miss flying; I craved the feeling of the wind rushing through my feathers. My wings ached to be used. If only I could find somewhere where humans wouldn’t be able to look up and see me. Even in the early hours of the morning before the sun rose, there was a risk. With a groan I stretched my wings out in front of me and then out to the side. Taehyung just watched, though subtly, and seemed to radiate envy. He didn’t bother to speak though, like he would rather I didn’t notice.

Earth hadn’t turned out to be anything like I expected, not that I had a great deal of pre-built expectations. However, it was in every way so much more complex than I was prepared for. Human interaction was something I was going to be getting used to for a while yet. Thankfully, I did have the wolves to help me, and even though Jimin had only interacted with humans in Lupe form, Taehyung was incredibly well-versed in their culture when compared to me. 

I listened carefully when the boys arrived home; not that Jimin would let their arrival go unannounced. His shrill howling wasn’t as subtle as he thought. With a deep sigh, I found myself wishing I could see what they were doing, wishing I could be in the house, talk to Yoongi, watch him interact with his brother… According to my conversations with Jimin, those thoughts probably shouldn’t be voiced out loud.

It was well after Taehyung had left; Yoongi had gone to bed and turned all of the lights out, and I noticed sounds of movement near the house. Feeling momentarily alarmed, I leapt over the fence with the assistance of my powerful wings and landed in the grassy yard, staring at a small, stunned cambion.

“Uh… Hoseok…” Hansol said, standing up straight and nervously lifting his arm to scratch the back of his head. “Fancy seeing you here… uh…”

“…Protecting my charge?” I finished for him. He caught on to the threat and held his hands up defensively.

“Okay, okay; I know the weird, boring one is yours. I was actually going to see if I could sneak around the puppy to the younger one,” Hansol said in his youthful voice.

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” I hissed and marched towards him. He backed away, intimidated by my pose alone. “That human isn’t even marked! You’d be eaten alive by Lilith if you tried to lie with him.”

“How is he not marked? That must be your human I can smell…”

“Go feed off your friend, you troublemaker!” I couldn’t bear the thought of him even referring to Yoongi, let alone going anywhere near him.

Hansol turned away from me with a scoff. “I wouldn’t let him touch me even if it did work that way.”

I knew that he wouldn’t get the sort of satisfaction his demon soul craved were he to lie with another cambion, but there was no way I was letting him near either of these humans.

After sending him off, I managed to relax again, resting against the wall under Yoongi’s bedroom window. I could hear him breathing, and even hear the shifting of his body against the sheets. I had begun to notice myself becoming more and more attached to him as time passed, and after interacting with him, the feelings only deepened. It felt as though human emotions, and their simple, malleable tendencies, were beginning to influence me.

Just before the sun rose, I flew back over the fence and walked to the meeting spot in the forest where I’d spend a few lonely hours waiting for Jimin. Wednesdays were Yoongi’s afternoon class, and he often turned up at college just after lunch.

Jimin talked me through a few more conversational skills, role-played a few possible situations, and finally refreshed me on my ‘alias’, which he’d helped me derive yesterday: I’m twenty-one, I study art, I live alone out of town, and I’ve studied language for the last few years. Jimin seemed reluctant to let me interact with Yoongi, but he couldn’t have stopped me if he tried; I craved the chance to speak with him again.

Jimin was wonderful company, I thought, especially when those troublemaking cambions decided to make an appearance, but if they didn’t spend the entire visit mocking or annoying me, they honestly could be okay. Taehyung was between the two in terms of company. Sometimes he was good to talk to and even sweet, but sometimes he acted self-centred and cold. I felt like the latter was more a façade than his real personality, and it didn’t make me dislike him.

I was actually glad to finally leave the woods, however, and look for an opportunity to ‘bump into’ Yoongi. Tucking my wings away after a night and half a day was uncomfortable, but necessary; the longer I left them out, the more I despised packing them away again.

I walked quickly in the dim, overcast light to his campus, not minding the time it took when compared to the frustration public transport caused me. My pace increased when I saw the tops of the buildings towards which I walked: almost there. At this time Yoongi was usually eating lunch, so I walked straight to the cafeteria. I stopped just before I reached the entrance; students were pouring in and out. Hesitantly, I crept closer, and when I looked inside, I gasped. It was packed. I’d only ever been inside when it was quiet, but logically, it made sense that most students would eat around the same time.

I sighed, how was I supposed to find Yoongi amongst all of this? I had no idea where to even begin. He usually sat alone, but there wasn’t really anywhere for him to sit and still be on his own. I’d seen him sit with a few others once or twice, and they even talked, but he never sought them out.

After a few minutes of walking around with my eyes scanning the crowd, I finally spotted him. This was one of the few days when he sat with somebody, and they chatted casually with their books spread out in front of them. The other human was a girl, a little shorter than Yoongi with round eyes and long, light-coloured hair. She smiled a lot, and more than once in the half-a-minute that I watched them she shifted closer to him. My eyebrow rose; was she deliberately closing the distance between them? Yoongi didn’t seem to mind, or even notice, and it didn’t bother me; she was definitely harmless and not causing him any distress.

In order to look a little less lost, which Jimin had warned me about, I went towards the café line-up. Half way through the queue, I realised I didn’t have any money except what was left from our drinks the other day. My shoulders slumped, and I exited the line: there goes that plan. I turned around, at a loss, scratching the back of my head, a seemingly-pointless habit I’d picked up spending so much time around humans. My eyes landed on my charge again, though I was slightly startled when I realised he was looking at me, too.

His eyebrows rose in recognition, and mine mimicked them. There were a few gestures and expressions that humans and most spirits shared: that was one of them. A small smile formed on his lips and I found the will to control a huge one forming on mine so that I didn’t look too freakishly happy to see him. Hesitantly, as though I wasn’t sure I should at first, I began towards him. He turned to his friend and said something to her, at which her face fell. Yoongi seemed to barely notice; he gathered his books in a hurry and climbed out from his seat at the table to meet me half-way.

“Hoseok-shi,” he said, smiling as he came to a stop a few feet from me. He stood with one leg rested, and one hand holding the strap of his satchel as it hung from his shoulder.

“Hey,” I replied, feeling the closeness like a breath of fresh air. I hadn’t realised before how much I missed being close to him, and not just so that we could interact or so that I could see him. The feeling came from somewhere much deeper; I felt the relief in my soul.

“You look a little lost; have you eaten?” he asked, glancing at the queue I dodged just a moment ago.

“No, I realised I don’t have any money…”

“Oh… c-can I buy you something?” he asked, suddenly reaching around to his back pocket. I was about to refuse, but something about his phrasing made me hesitate. He wasn’t just offering out of politeness, he wanted to buy me something. I couldn’t even consider refusing.

It took me a moment to come up with a response, but he spoke before I could, anyway. “Actually, should we go eat somewhere together? I have a few hours before class.” At that, I nodded and felt my heart thump.

He walked beside me out of the campus and towards the middle of town. I couldn’t help but feel excited that Yoongi was becoming talkative when he was around me. He didn’t usually act that way around others. Sometimes when I said something odd, I was worried he’d stop talking to me, but the more often it happened, the more positively he responded. That day he even laughed at my misunderstanding of the cashier’s use of the English word ‘pretty’.

“Why did he call the day ‘pretty boring’?” I whispered to Yoongi as we slid into window seats opposite each other at one of the restaurant’s booths. 

“Huh?” Yoongi said as he looked up at me from his phone.

“The man who served us; you asked how his day was and he said ‘pretty boring.’ How can a day be ‘pretty’, but also ‘boring?’”

For a moment, Yoongi just stared at me, but suddenly he burst into laughter. I was much too delighted to see him laugh to be embarrassed. He explained it to me, but then asked how my English was so good if I didn’t understand so many English sayings.

“I just learnt it from a young age, but only in a formal classroom situation,” I said, which wasn’t necessarily a lie. “I know many languages.”

“Really?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested. I nodded with a small smile. “You must be really smart.”

I dropped my gaze and shook my head with a smile, which seemed to work as a way of dealing with flattery. I realised, when I met his eyes again, that he had become bolder with holding my gaze, especially since I made an effort to look away from him more often. He seemed embarrassed though, when there was an extended silence during our eye-contact, and he always looked away as colour climbed across his cheeks. I was sure I had never seen anything as cute as when humans blushed.

Our lunch arrived not long after we ordered. I had the same as Yoongi, simply since I had no idea what else to order. With similar biology to his—for entirely aesthetic reasons—I knew human food would do my body no harm. I’d never eaten before in my life; there was simply no need. I tried not to hesitate before I started. I’d seen them eat almost more consistently than I’d seen anything else, and thankfully I had no trouble making it look natural. That was one thing, at least.

Eating was something I supposed I should get used to, since I was going to spend a while acting human. Even if Yoongi soon found out that I wasn’t mortal, I would still benefit from acting that way around other mortals. Eating wasn’t anything I didn’t want to get used to, anyway; from what I could tell, the experience was generally pleasurable.

After finishing, Yoongi, looking utterly content, checked his phone for the time and leant back in his seat.

“When does your brother finish work today?” I asked him, and his eyes held mine for a few wonderful moments.

“He doesn’t work today. He’ll come straight home from school and bug me about feeding him.”

“He can’t feed himself?” I asked, though I felt as though he was making a joke.

“Of course he can,” Yoongi said with a grin.

I leant back, continuing to hold his eyes. “I see why he’s spoilt.”

Yoongi just laughed that gorgeous, honest laugh of his, and my heart soared.

~

I pretended to have a class as well, so we walked back to the campus together and then parted ways. I planned to linger somewhere for the fifty minutes he would spend learning, and then meet him outside the building to walk him home. That couldn’t be too strange, could it?

He was listening to music when I spotted him exiting his class, walking towards me on the dirt path from his building. I waited, leaning against the brick wall by the staircase, and stood up straight just before he reached me to get his attention. Only a few feet from me, he couldn’t have missed me; he jumped, startled, as though I’d leapt at him violently.

“Shit,” he cursed in English and I apologised with a bow. “It’s okay,” Yoongi chuckled, reverting back to his native language as he rested his hand on my shoulder. His shoulders rose and fell with exaggerated breaths. “You just startled me.”

He can’t have known what the contact of his hand on my body did to me. My fingers twitched at my sides. My human… It felt so right, as though the contact should never cease. I refrained, however, from covering his hand with mine, or pulling him against me, or anything that might convict me. Jimin warned me that skinship should be initiated by Yoongi, and when it was, I could return it. He must have known I would feel this way.

“How was class?” I forced out, feeling dejected as his hand dropped.

“So so,” he answered with a shrug. “Did you wait for me?”

We met gazes for a moment, but it was I who looked away first. “Ah… yeah,” I admitted, and began to prepare some explanation.

“Really? Did you want to hang out?” he asked, looking up at me with big, hopeful eyes.

Of course. Always. What doesn’t sound too desperate?

“I don’t really have to be home at any time…” he continued after my pause was too long. “Jungkook contacted me to say he won’t be home tonight since he has a study date, and anyway, at home he has this giant… dog… and I think it acts as a better protector than I d- Ahh!” As Yoongi was talking, he neglected to notice where he was walking and tripped on a fallen tree-branch. Luckily for him––and the spotless black jeans and white t-shirt he wore––I had pretty good reflexes.

It was torture holding him so close against me while he caught his balance and stood up.

“Th-thanks,” he stuttered, glancing down at his attacker. “Stupid stick.”

I didn’t ask why he degraded the intelligence of an inanimate object; I’d had my non-human question of the day.

We walked more slowly, not really having a direction anymore. A lot of the time, Yoongi seemed quite capable of chatting normally, and we even had some deep conversations that I felt privileged to have him share. I preferred to listen when he spoke, feeling like there wasn’t much I could say about myself or my life that he would understand. It wasn’t time yet to reveal everything to him, as much as I craved it. I wanted so badly to talk to him about things of which he did not yet know. There was just so much to tell him, so much to discuss, and so much that I needed to ask.

There were also times when Yoongi seemed to stumble over his words and scrabble for something to say. I was having trouble identifying exactly what caused such a dramatic change in him. Over a few occurrences, I managed to compile a list of things that I did or said just before his behaviour changed. The first seemed obvious after I noticed it: it was my closeness. He did attempt to suppress the way his breath caught and his voice dropped several octaves, but as soon it became noticeable, I repeatedly got close to him to test my theory. I hoped I was subtle enough to not seem creepy.

He must have thought I was quite strange, judging by the way his gaze darted from my eyes to my lips and back, and he sometimes leant slightly away. While we were walking side-by-side, I let myself take it a little further than Jimin would have recommended, and slid my hand from his shoulder blade up to rest on his opposite shoulder. I watched as his laugh slowly dissipated into a small smile, and he looked anywhere but at me. What I could see, though, was almost the opposite of what he could feel which, evidently, I could feel. That confident smile was hiding a nerve-wracking uneasiness of some sort.

I almost shuddered at the shock of it; the wave of heat he threw my way felt oddly unfamiliar, almost like embarrassment, but more slow-moving, and less shameful. Yoongi hadn’t felt this emotion so strongly since I’d known him, otherwise I would have felt it before. It was enhanced by the fact that he was so close; in fact, he fit gorgeously in the shape of my arm across his back, and his side against mine. If not for that wave of discomfort––and the fact that he was suddenly walking so stiffly––I wouldn’t have thought he was reacting. But now I knew for sure, one of the few things that made him uncomfortable was close contact, and I could only hope that it wasn’t me in particular he was averted to.

I didn’t torture him for long; I took my hand back when we stopped to turn into a coffee shop. He directed me to a seat and said he’d be right back, so I sat down alone, glancing around at the stylish, modern interior. I could easily tell the difference between modern and old-fashioned architecture; it was something we had studied. The way humans build and design says a lot about their culture, and so I found it comforting to think about and admire when almost everything else still seemed so daunting.

Yoongi came back and sat down, placing his backpack gently by the side of his chair. The tips of his fringe were damp; he must have wet his face while in the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” I asked, suddenly concerned that he wasn’t feeling well.

“I’m fine,” he said, his eyes wide like he couldn’t imagine what had made me ask. “I feel like a hot coffee today,” he stated, trailing off as he picked up a menu and scanned the beverage section. I just watched him, enjoying the concentrated twist of his lips, and the way the tungsten lights cast a shadow from his long eyelashes across his pale cheeks.

“What do you feel li-” Yoongi began, but he stopped, startled, when he met my eyes. “You can’t read the drinks menu off my face, Hoseok-shi.”

“I’ll just have what you have,” I said, smiling slightly as he dropped his gaze back to the menu, colour spreading across those ivory cheekbones.

“Should I stop asking?” he said, and a tiny smile pulled at the corner of his lips. For once, I understood the joke, and I smiled as well.

~


	6. The Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

This was not my night. 

I wasn’t a clumsy person, but it was the second time I’d fallen over in a few hours. Hoseok and I had only just parted ways for the evening, and this time it was much worse than the last when he had caught me. I tried to save myself by reaching out for a nearby fence-post and ended up dropping all of my things and scraping the skin off my leg as I slid across sharp stones.

I gathered my things and stood up, wincing at the bloody gash, and suddenly I met eyes with Hoseok. I’d heard someone running, but assumed it was just a passerby. I took his hand when he helped me and let him hold my things so that I could walk more easily.

“How come you always rush to my aid?” I said, my tone holding a lingering bitterness. I wasn’t mad at him, but at the generally uncoordinated day I was having.

“I just… don’t like seeing you get hurt.” His voice was as sincere as his face when he witnessed my pain. 

“Well… thanks. You make a good guardian angel.” The way he froze made me look him up and down. “What?”

“How did you know?”

“Uh…mm…”

Suddenly he leant closer and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Who told you?”

“Who told me what?” I chuckled, leaning slightly away from him. 

“That I’m an Angel,” he breathed, stepping so close that I had to take two steps back. I winched on the injured leg, though his seriousness about such a joke was making me giggle, and I held my hand up to push him away.

“Okay, okay; joke’s over,” I laughed. “Thanks again…”

“Yoongi… we need to talk in private.”

He really wasn’t kidding, either. I held his serious black eyes for a few moments and then glanced away." Ah, okay… how private?”

“Your home.”

“M-my home? Why not your home?” I asked. I would have been slightly intimidated if it were anyone except Hoseok. He could be weird, but he was anything but dangerous. 

“My home is a little far,” he said quietly, and straightened his back. 

“Fine,” I sighed. Jungkook wasn’t home for the night and I knew Dooley would go out of his way to make sure nobody hurt me; he was alarmingly smart like that. 

Hoseok walked silently beside me for the trip to the bus stop, sat silently beside me on the bus, and walked slightly behind me––silently––until I unlocked the door and let us inside. Dooley barked excitedly at me, about two and a half times, before he suddenly halted and scuttled back a few steps. I realised it was a reaction to me letting a stranger into the house. Hoseok pointed a slight grin at the wolf and walked over to him.

“That’s Dooley. He’s never met a stranger… but he should be friendly.”

“Wow, he’s a beast.” Hoseok said as he held his hand out towards the wolf. Dooley sat and lifted his paw, gently placing it on Hoseok’s hand. They made freaky eye-contact, and then Hoseok looked at me. 

“That’s… kinda weird,” I admitted, watching as Dooley sat patiently beside Hoseok, looking at me. 

“You called me your guardian angel today,” Hoseok began, and he took a few steps towards me. “That’s the first time you’ve said it. For how long have you known?”

I watched him as he stopped a few feet from me; his gaze was almost impatient. 

“This is starting to get weird, Hoseok-shi. What are you talking about?”

“You’re acting like you don’t know…”

“I don’t.”

Hoseok sighed and crouched suddenly. He reached out and took the calf of my grazed leg in his hands. I just watched, curious and confused. 

“So you don’t know anything about spirits? Angels and Demons?”

I blinked a few times and shook my head. Despite the mysterious question, I answered honestly. “From stories, maybe a little… Why?”

“I assumed you’d found out… but I guess it’s time I explain.”

I agreed heavily with that, but was confused as to why he continued to inspect my wound. 

“I actually…” He paused, raising one of his hands to rest on my stomach. I frowned but decided to allow him a few moments before I shoved him off me grumpily.

I couldn’t have been imagining the feeling that suddenly rose up inside me, like a slow rush of warm pleasure from the pit of my stomach that spread to every inch of me. At the same time, my wound began to itch, and in a moment it was stinging again, as much as when I’d first hurt it.

“H-Hoseok,” I sighed, my brows knitting together. It wasn’t the sting that had me reeling, though; it was the tingly heat that sent spikes of pleasure though my veins to every part of me. “Wh-what…” 

“…am an Angel,” he finished, and the warmth, the stinging, and everything else, suddenly disappeared.

I looked down at him and then at my leg. 

My completely mark-free leg. 

In my shocked flailing, I almost kicked Hoseok in the face, but managed to land with two feet on the ground. 

“What the fuck just happened?”

“I told you, I’m your Angel, Yoongi; I can heal you when you’re hurt.”

“N-no, Hoseok, explain to me what actually just happened!” I didn’t lose my shit often, which indicated precisely how shocked I was in that moment.

He slowly raised himself to his usual straight-backed stance, all the while holding my eyes. He really wasn’t messing around; whatever he was trying to tell me, he really believed it. 

“What do you mean y-you’re…” I paused and ran my hand over my leg again. “Haaa, what the hell did you do to my leg?” I whined, terribly distressed. 

“Please don’t panic; you’re going to upset both of us. And believe me; Hell had nothing to do with it.”

“Believe you? Just believe that you’re an Angel?”

He didn’t even blink. 

“Would you like me to show you?” he said, and began to unzip his flawlessly white vest. 

“Show me w-what?” I stuttered, feeling confusion build up until I was almost panicking. 

Suddenly he went tense. “One moment,” he muttered and marched in his never-endingly purposeful way towards the kitchen window. I watched him, my jaw hanging stupidly. 

“Yah, Jung Hoseok,” I snapped. I turned, taking a step on my miraculously-healed leg and glanced down at it. A small whine left my lips––it was no illusion––this was beyond creepy.

“Yoongi, please calm down,” Hoseok said, turning away from the window, and the look in his eyes was startlingly concerned. 

“What are you doing? Why are you looking outside? Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?!”

“Please wait inside,” he said, a very gentle but serious command. I just stared as he disappeared out the front door. 

My fingers curled at my sides and I suddenly noticed just how fast my heart was beating. A soft whine made me glance over at Dooley. 

“Are you in on this?” I hissed rhetorically, frustrated and bewildered. Dooley lay down and rested his head on his paws like he’d been scolded. “Where did that weirdo go…?” I mumbled and stormed outside. After glancing around, I couldn’t see any sign of him, except I could hear the quiet babble of voices nearby. It could have been the neighbours, but I investigated nonetheless.

As I got closer to the fence, I realised the voices were indeed coming from the neighbour’s house. With a frustrated sigh I turned to head back into the house, determined to pretend none of this had ever happened. 

Suddenly, I felt a touch on my waist and I froze, immediately assuming my strange friend had decided to show himself. That assumption was put to rest the moment I was slammed up against the brick wall of my house. I let out a gasp and cowered, not even attempting to see who had pushed me. 

“Gosh, you’re pretty for a boy,” came the chilling voice of my attacker. It was a feline, almost feminine sound, albeit the voice of a man. I mewled in fear, pushing at whatever part of his body my hands were against. It was no use whatsoever; he was tall and strong, pinning me in place with little effort. One of his hands ran firmly from my hip to my underarm, dragging my shirt up, and I didn’t have the strength to pry his hands away.

I jumped when I heard Dooley barking; I hadn’t heard him bark like that before. He was snarling like a real wild animal, like he was ready to tear out a throat. He was inside the house, though; I was not. 

In a moment of terrified panic, I screamed: “Hoseok!!”

The stranger muffled my voice with his hand and lifted me so I was barely able to touch the ground with my feet. 

“If you stop screaming, I’ll make it quick,” he whispered, and I was forced to look right at him. I felt more screams building; I had never been so afraid. Dark eyes shone from under his hood, a terrifyingly unnatural blood-red. Slowly, as though infected by some dark poison, black veins crawled across his face, rising to the skin like a toxic net of capillaries.

Make what quick…?

A low hiss sent chills down my spine and his face was suddenly buried against my neck. I would have screamed again if not for the strong hand clamped over my mouth. A deep intake of breath whooshed past my ear. 

A rumbling growl pierced the quiet night, shocking me and my attacker for the split second before he was violently dragged off of me. I yelped and scrambled away from the wall, almost losing my footing before dashing into the house. I locked the door and collapsed before I reached the couch. Adrenaline surged through me, accelerating my ragged breathing and sporadic heart beat. My head whipped around a few times while I looked for Dooley, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight. 

“Yoongi!” Hoseok shrieked as he sprinted through from the back door, almost tripping over furniture before he dropped to the floor beside me. I hadn’t really seen him come, only the blurry shape of him as he slid on his knees on the tiles until he was right against me, dragging me to him with his hands pressing into my back. Instinctively, since I knew him and knew he was no threat, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself into his broad chest.

“Did he bite you?” Hoseok asked, his voice urgent. His palms pressed flat against me, and through my tears and trembles, which I hadn’t noticed until that moment, I felt that slow-moving warmth spread from my insides outwards, just like before. I couldn’t stop a delighted sigh as it relaxed and distracted me. 

“Yoongi… Yoongi! Did he bite you?!”

However confusing and strange the question was, I forced myself to focus and answer him. “No… He didn’t bite m-me,” I breathed, still fighting trembles, but dealing with surge after surge of bone-deep pleasure that seemed to come straight from his warm, long-fingered hands. “Hoseok-ah,” I whispered, entirely too distracted by that feeling to remember why I’d been so distressed, and why he was even holding me in the first place. 

“You’re not hurt?” he asked urgently, and I tipped my chin down to muffle a moan against his shoulder. He seemed to take that as an answer and his hands slid slowly down my back before he let them drop. Suddenly, the intense, addictive feeling dimmed to just a lingering memory. 

I relaxed against him for a few moments and his hands slowly rose up again so he could wind his arms around me. I could have broken down in that moment––there was plenty of reason for me to do so––but instead, I focused on the reassurance of his embrace and the rhythm of his breathing against my chest.

I didn’t allow myself to move while I crouched there, fighting the urge to simply cry, because all of the fear and confusion swirling inside me were begging for an outlet. If it weren’t for my arms slowly relaxing and sliding down past his shoulders to get more comfortable, I would never have moved. I flinched suddenly, though, when each of my forearms bumped something soft on their way down, a pair of symmetrical protrusions that my mental image of his back had naturally not included. My eyes slowly opened, and I blinked through tears and sharp, incandescent light until I was met with the impossible sight of fluffy, flawlessly white, feathered wings.

With a strangled gasp that resembled an attempt at a scream, I shoved at his shoulders and scrambled backwards. Continuing to whine like I was in danger, I yanked my feet under me and dashed into my room. I slammed and locked the door before climbing into my cupboard and curling into a ball on the third shelf. 

Bravery wasn’t my strong point, but that really was a low moment, even for me. 

~


	7. In Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

The way Yoongi had reacted to the sight of my wings was not a good start. I hadn’t quite recovered from the feel of him against me, though, and I was still tingling for a few long moments before I could move. It felt so right. I panicked that I had failed my mission already, letting that vampire come between him and me. When I saw that Yoongi was back inside the house, my first instinct was to make sure he was all right. As soon as he was in reach, I was healing him until he finally told me that he hadn’t been harmed in the first place.

To hold him against me was the only way I could calm down. I needed to feel him right there, his breath brushing in even strokes past my ear, and his heart thudding heavily against my chest. Luckily I was reassured before he pulled away. The way he gasped and shoved me proved right away the he was not about to react well. I decided it was best to let him go, since he clearly didn’t want to be near me.

A scratching at the front door made me glance up. I knew right away that it was Jimin, and I got up, folded my wings out of sight, and let him in. He trotted past me with a tiny limp in his step, and turned towards Jungkook’s room.

“You could have come in your human form and let yourself in,” I sighed, waiting for him to come back out.

When I saw him again he was human, wearing a pair of Jungkook’s shorts. A deep gash decorated his shoulder and neck, and the blood still shone around it, though wasn’t dripping. He didn’t seem entirely bothered by it.

“Not unless I want the whole neighbourhood seeing my junk,” he replied as he inspected a gash that went up his shoulder and neck. “Humans have something against nakedness.” He suddenly glanced up towards the living room and the hallway. “Where did Yoongi go?”

“Into his room,” I sighed. “He’s not exactly okay with me being an Angel yet… and I think he needs some time.”

“Should I stay Lupe for now?”

“Don’t you think he should learn who you really are? Or not yet…?”

Jimin shrugged. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to tell him.” I nodded before he spoke again. “Did you see the Vampire?” he asked.

“No, but I could tell he was a youngster. Native.” I had been able to tell right away that the Vampire was born that way, not changed, and of rather regal bloodlines.

“You’re right. It was Jiho,” Jimin said, glancing at his shoulder wound.

I just nodded, having heard of the Demon before. I walked into the kitchen and beckoned him over to me. “Let me help with your wound.”

“I thought you could only heal humans,” he said as he walked towards the kitchen bench.

“I can, but that doesn’t mean I can’t clean your wound and patch it up.”

“Don’t worry about it; Taehyung will clean it for me.”

My brow rose. “Do you really think he will?”

“If I beg… and if he sees me in Lupe form. If he’s in human form, he’ll probably just laugh at me.”

I agreed with that completely. Taehyung found it much more difficult to act in an animalistic way since he was much more in touch with his human side. Only when he shifted into his Lupe or Lycan forms did he act at all like a wolf, whereas Jimin could have passed for an animal even if he was entirely human. The dark-haired wolf would resort to using his mouth before his hands more often than not, and sometimes growled to get his point across. Taehyung and he were a boisterous pair, and would often get into play-fights, though they were always initiated by the elder: Jimin.

They made an interesting duo, and a lot of my nights’ entertainment was simply watching them interact.

Jimin headed out to meet Taehyung, since he wanted the younger to help lick his wounds, I assumed literally. I stayed in the house, wondering if my human was going to be okay.

~

Apparently, Heaven had noticed the calamity that had taken place between me, Yoongi, and the bloodthirsty spirit I’d had to fend off. Sometime late that evening, I was visited by an Archangel. I had been lingering in Yoongi’s house, hoping he would surface after some time to calm, but as of yet, he hadn’t. I followed the Archangel out into the forest where we could talk in private.

I knew this Angel: Yoon Dujun. He had taught me control of my spirit, and helped me through the majority of my training. I was glad to be visited by him, but no less intimidated by his presence here. At his rank it was rare for him to leave our native realm. He served directly at the Maker’s side as an advisor, and trained young Angels in their third and fourth terms. His visit was a welcome relief, and a reminder of how important my mission really was.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Jung Hoseok,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got a lot to deal with, since this human is surrounded by demons. How is it all feeling? To be on Earth for the first time is always an incredible change.”

“I’m getting used to it,” I admitted, “though, it’s still difficult.”

“Of course, of course. And you’re feeling the bond quite strongly now, I assume?”

I nodded.

“How does that feel?” he asked.

“I can locate how close or far he is, and I can feel what he’s feeling much better if he’s nearby, especially if he’s right next to me.”

“Does it bother you when he’s further away?”

I nodded again, fighting the urge to hug myself.

“Quite a bit, I see.”

I didn’t want to explain, but he seemed to be waiting for me to. “It’s stressful when I can’t see him. I don’t like how I feel when I’m apart from him.”

“You crave to be near him so that you know you can protect him,” Dujun explained. “That’s only natural. I can see why you felt like it was time to reveal yourself.”

“Is it not usual to reveal so early? It’s only been a few months…”

“It depends entirely on your situation, Hoseok, so don’t worry. In your case it is important that Yoongi finds out about you, and about the spirit world, so that he knows to be careful. He is already marked, as he is a Quarter Demon Soul.” I nodded, reassured by his words. “Your bond is strong, and that’s simply a sign that you’ve gained much of his trust. Even his fear of what he discovered tonight hasn’t broken that trust.”

I felt my heart swell a little at that. It was reassuring to hear that I hadn’t ruined our relationship.

“Remember that it’s your responsibility to educate him about his father; your charge is from a family with an important history. If there’s ever anything you need to discuss with us, just remember that Heaven is always there for you, Hoseok.”

“Thank you,” I managed to say, though I wished there was a way to let him know how thankful I really was. He wished me luck and smiled as he spread his wings. I watched in awe as he took off and rose away from the world. Envy coursed through me for a moment. At his level of experience, he could choose whom he was visible to, therefore never had to hide himself like I did. His giant, graceful wings never had to remain cooped up inside of him like mine.

~

I entered Yoongi’s house quietly, but he seemed to have heard me. My human walked purposefully out of his room and directed his gaze towards the front door, but when he met my eyes, he tensed and stepped backwards. My brows pinched and I felt concern cross my face.

“Can I explain…?” I said, raising my hands in a surrender position.

Yoongi’s body language was not encouraging; he made himself small and crossed his arms, keeping a good ten metre distance between us. It felt like years that he just stared at me, caution in his features.

“Promise me you’ll just tell me the truth… and that this isn’t some stupid joke.”

I nodded. “Of course; I’ll tell you everything,” I assured him.

He seemed to accept that and hesitantly stepped towards the couch in the middle of the living room. Every step I took towards him was comforting, but I forced myself to sit on the furthest couch possible. It would be better to give him all the space he needed for now, despite the longing in my soul.

“Th-then start with… what you are.”

“Yoongi, I told you; I’m an-” He cut me off harshly.

“I know! I know you told me you’re… an Angel… but…” He just shook his head. “Hoseok-shi… Angels aren’t… real…” He said it like he was trying to convince himself.

I just took a deep breath. The most difficult part about this conversation should probably come first.

“Can I tell you a story?” I began, and Yoongi directed his cautious look at me. A tiny, barely noticeable nod made me continue. “In the history of Heaven and the surrounding realms, there is usually peace, but twice in recorded history there have been wars between the worlds. The second of which involved such destruction that even human soldiers known as Demon Hunters were employed for their help defending Heaven.”

Yoongi just stared at me, almost mistrustful, but interested nonetheless.

“The captain of the Demon Hunter army—I remember being told—was the bravest, most skilled fighter that our soldiers ever had the pleasure of fighting beside. His tactics and battle strategies were the whole reason we were able to defend ourselves in such desperate times. The captain’s efforts didn’t go unrewarded. Whenever the captain was in need of assistance, there was always one of Heaven’s spirits willing to offer their services.

“Of course, the captain had a life on Earth and a family to protect, and attempted to keep his work life separate from that. Despite his attempts, the captain’s popularity in the spirit world was reflected as infamy in some realms. He had caught the attention of Lilith, which caused a bounty to fall on his head, and of course, that of his family.”

“H-hoseok,” Yoongi stuttered, and I met his eyes then. I suddenly realised that the sparkle in his eyes was tears. “I think I know why you’re telling me this.”

I didn’t want to hurt him, but I could feel that I had. My fists clenched at my sides as I watched distress cross his features. He glanced down and a tear streaked his cheek.

“It’s my father, isn’t it?”

I cringed from the waves of grief he sent me, and it only worsened when his eyes met mine again.

“That’s why they really died, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I breathed, despising how much this hurt him.

“He was a Demon Hunter…?”

I nodded, needing to take a deep breath just to keep calm. These emotions of his were getting intense. “One of the best we’ve ever known.”

“D-did you know him?” he said, managing to keep his voice mostly controlled.

“Not personally; I’ve only heard stories of his deeds.”

Yoongi nodded and leant back against the couch. He took a few deep breaths and managed to halt the tears. He wiped his eyes once and shook his head.

“So you… you’re here to protect me?”

“I was assigned to you as a favour to your father.”

“That’s what you meant when you said you’re my Angel…”

“Yes,” I said with a nod, “protecting you is my first assignment, so I’m still working it out, but I promise I’ll never let a Demon that close to you ever again.”

“H-he was a Demon?!”

“I felt him before I knew where he was, so I asked you to stay inside…”

“Sorry,” Yoongi whispered, suddenly quiet. I let my eyes sweep over him. He’d taken in a lot today, and he looked exhausted.

“You should sleep,” I said, attempting to relax my tense muscles since he was finally calming down.

Apparently, he was too excited to even consider my suggestion. “So where do you really live?”

“I don’t really have a home on Earth; I don’t need one.”

“What do you mean you don’t need a home? Where do you… stay?”

I had never felt so taken off guard by a question before, especially since I had to answer him honestly this time. I was suddenly embarrassed, because I had an idea of how this would sound.

“In the forest, mostly… when I’m not with you.”

The way he stared with his jaw dropped wasn’t exactly what I had expected.

“You don’t… go back to h-heaven or…?”

“How could I protect you from there, Yoongi-yah?” I asked, a smile creeping across my lips.

He just stared, seeming very surprised. “How can you not have somewhere to live? Do you… do you want to stay here?”

My smile dropped away. “Here? In the house?”

Yoongi nodded, but it confused me when a light blush crept up his cheeks.

“If you want me to, I will,” I said, which applied to almost anything he could possibly ask of me.

“I-I just… don’t think you should have to live outside…”

“I’ll stay then,” I said with a smile. “Thank you.”

“I guess you don’t really have any… stuff… right?”

“Stuff?”

“Like, belongings… clothes and stuff.”

I chuckled. “No, I don’t.”

“Okay… I should go to bed, really… it’s almost one am. Ah, I don’t have anywhere that comfortable to offer you to sleep…”

“It’s fine; here is fine.” I would have told him that I didn’t need a place to sleep, but it would only start more conversation, and Yoongi looked ready to pass out.

“Well… goodnight. I have more questions—a lot more—but… they can wait.”

“Any time,” I said and watched as he stood and lazily made his way to his bedroom. “Goodnight, Yoongi-yah.”

He turned back to me and lifted his hand, a cute, almost shy gesture that made me smile. He closed the door and I slumped against the couch. That was, hopefully, the worst part over.

~

Yoongi rose a little after eight am and jumped in fright when I said ‘good morning.’

“Oh, Hoseok-ah…” he said, his hand coming to his chest. “You startled me.” His voice was a little hoarse with sleep and I found myself thinking it was cute. “Good morning. Did you sleep okay? You’re still in your clothes and everything…” He was glancing in my general direction through half-open eyes, and his hair sat up strangely on one side.

“I can answer that better when you feel like talking a little more.”

Yoongi scratched his head and blinked sleepily. After what seemed like a moment of deliberation, he wandered over to the couch on which I had sprawled out, and I moved my feet so that he could sit. He slumped down heavily, rubbing his eyes.

“So explain it to me… I assume there’s a lot more to tell.” He seemed a lot more relaxed now than the night before.

“Well… being on Earth is still really new for me. When I first came I didn’t understand much about nature in your world. I hadn’t been taught about day and night, or seasons and weather. What we learnt while on the topic of humans was simply about the humans themselves, their history and cultures.”

“So you don’t have day and night in heaven?”

“Not really; there is nothing like night. We Angels don’t strictly require sleep in the same sense as humans, nor does any life form require a cycle of light and dark.”

“You don’t need to sleep at all?” He sounded astonished. 

“Not if I’m healthy. We sleep when we’re sick or injured and need to recharge.”

“How long has it been since you last slept?”

I thought about that for a while. “That’s difficult to answer. Time as I know it is measured differently to how you do.”

Yoongi nodded, his mouth open slightly in wonder, though his eyes were still heavy with sleepiness.

“Has it been a long time?”

I nodded. “I haven’t slept since my second term… I suppose since before you were born.”

Yoongi’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “H-how old are you?!”

His shock caught me off guard and I flinched, but I couldn’t help smiling at his expression. I shook my head. “I’ve lived for a little more than four terms.”

“What’s a term?”

After a deep breath, I twisted my lips. “You’re asking some seriously difficult questions,” I said with a chuckle. 

“Sorry… It’s just really interesting.”

“If you’re about twenty human years, and you’re just reaching maturity… then I suppose a term is around sixty human years.”

He just stared, so completely enthralled. “A-and you’ve lived for four?”

I nodded. “I suppose I’ve lived almost two and a half human centuries.”

The sudden shock in his face was reflected by the wave he sent through our bond.

“And… how long do Angels live for?”

“That depends entirely on how they live,” I answered with a smile. “Every successful assignment can add around a term to our lifespan of an average hundred terms or so. We age more slowly if we complete assignments correctly, and become more powerful as well. We don’t measure time for the same reasons as you do on Earth, so our terms are much longer than years, though I know for sure that time moves differently in heaven. Your very short years seem to pass by much too quickly. Sometimes we could be observing a family on earth and accidentally miss a few generations, simply because we don’t check up on them often enough.”

“But what exactly does a term measure? You don’t use anything smaller like our years?”

“No, we don’t. A term measures a stage in the life of us Angels. From birth to maturity is one term, and each stage of education is another… It’s rather simple.”

“Angels take sixty years to mature?”

“Give or take a few of your years, yes, they do.”

“And what’s a ‘stage of education?’”

I took a deep breath. I had absolutely nothing against answering his questions—in fact, I enjoyed it—I just didn’t think I knew quite enough to be the one informing him. Maybe I should introduce him to an Archangel. 

“Like semesters at university where you take different subjects, we learn about different things at different stages in our lives. We begin education at maturity with languages—those of all worlds—and simple training involving physical and spiritual skills. In the second term we work on the theory of the worlds around us, and how everything is connected and related. In our third term, most of us hone our skills in healing and combat.”

“Combat?”

“Of course,” I began with a smile, “we need a way to defend ourselves, our world, and our charges.”

“What kind of combat?”

“Physical and spiritual combat. It’s necessary to master fine control of both our body and spirit before we are entrusted with tasks as important as defending lives.”

“So let me get this straight,” Yoongi began, holding his hands out in front of him. “You were born about two-hundred-and-fifty years ago, you reached adulthood after sixty years, and then spent the next almost two-hundred years in training, and the first thing you get assigned to do is sit here on Earth and watch my ass?”

Pushing the question about why he’d decided to mention his ass to the back of my mind, I was surprised he would find my mission so trivial. The way he spoke about my life and training was, however, nothing if not cute. “You speak as if my mission isn’t important.”

“How is my life important compared to that of some spirit lord or… or the president?”

“Your family has earnt the right to utilise heaven’s guardian services; your father’s work has saved more lives than I will ever be able to. Keeping you safe is the very least we can do.”

“So, I just get to sit back and relax while you ‘protect’ me for my whole life?”

“I don’t understand what you’re averted to.”

“I feel like I’m getting something for nothing… and that I’m wasting… Heaven’s services… and your life.”

“No life is unworthy of protection, Yoongi, especially one of your bloodline.”

“So there’s nothing I can do about it? I just have to sit here and be precious?”

“What would you like to do?”

His lips twisted while he thought. “I could never be like my father… He was brave and… probably knew how to fight.”

“Fighting is something that can be taught, and bravery can certainly be learnt; if you want to be like your father, I will train you.”

Wide, concerned eyes met mine, and for a few silent moments, I knew he was considering it. 

“I-I couldn’t,” he stuttered, shaking his head. “I’m nothing like him.”

“Of course you could,” I said, hoping to encourage him. “It’ll be easy. And maybe then I won’t need to protect you so much.” I didn’t really mean that last sentence, and the way he looked at me proved he knew it. With a tiny curve of his lips, he glanced up and met my eyes again. 

“Fine, train me, but I think you’ll find I’m much too lazy and chicken shit to be of any use.”

“Chicken shit?”

“Scared,” he explained. “Cowardly.”

I chuckled. “You can train me in human interaction while we’re at it.”

~


	8. Marked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

I had decided to skip class that day. Despite feeling relatively calm about it now, I was still in shock from the evening before. Everything had changed with that conversation. Not only my present and my future, but my entire past changed with his story. It still ached to think about it while I cooked a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast. I replied to a message from Jungkook that said he was ‘being good and made it to school on time from his friend’s house,’ and then I brought mine and Hoseok’s breakfast to the lounge room.

The look on Hoseok’s face was beyond thrilled. He seemed completely flattered, and he explained straight away. “Yoongi… you really shouldn’t have…”

“Why? You live here now; of course I’ll make you food.”

“Because I… I don’t need to eat,” he said with a bittersweet smile. I felt my face heat up as I sat down. He chuckled slightly as he settled into the couch with his plate on his lap. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to.”

That made me feel a little better. I began eating, mostly to avoid speaking. I really wished my cheeks would stop burning, but it seemed to be a habit around Hoseok. I just wasn’t used to spending extended periods around attractive people. The fact that he wasn’t exactly human didn’t change my body’s reaction to him.

“Is it okay?” I asked, breaking the long silence.

“It’s great,” he said with a breathtaking smirk. If nothing else, simply his celestial attractiveness convinced me that he really was an Angel.

“So you don’t need to eat or sleep? What do you do?”

“…Do?”

“Yeah like… for fun…”

Hoseok needed to think about that for a moment, and he made chewing look very appealing. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“But… then what do you do all day? And all night?”

“In the morning I go to your university to keep an eye on you, and in the afternoon, when you come home, I head into the forest to meet… my friends. And at night, I stay by your back fence so I can be near you when Demons are most likely to attack.”

I stared at him, my jaw slack, and my food lifted half-way to my mouth. A forkful of egg suddenly fell and landed back on my plate, but I barely noticed.

“Y-you just… watch… me?”

“I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you would think I’m strange.”

“Well…” Yeah, it would have sounded strange in any other situation. More than anything, it made my slowly cooling cheeks suddenly enflame all over again. “I guess it makes sense if you’re supposed to protect me but… doesn’t that get incredibly boring?”

“Boring?” He gave me that same look that he always did, like I’d said something he wouldn’t have even considered.

“How could you not get bored just watching me all the time?”

“How could I get bored?”

I felt my heart beat faster. Why did he have to say things that my deranged mind took so differently to how he meant them? Even his confusion was attractive.

“There isn’t anything else I would want to do, Yoongi-yah,” he continued, holding my eyes for a moment and then looking back at his food to finish it. I only realised, just then, how he’d been calling me ‘Yoongi-yah,’ and how I’d called him ‘Hoseok-ah’ just out of habit. I rolled my lip between my teeth and took a deep breath to calm myself, but it wasn’t very effective. Letting him stay here suddenly seemed like a decision I was going to regret.

When I still didn’t speak—simply because I didn’t trust myself—he continued. “There is still a lot for me to tell you, if you feel up to it.”

I just nodded, meeting his eyes for a moment before taking a tiny bite of my toast.

“This is something that I didn’t realise until the first time I met you, but my bond with you allows me to keep in contact with your soul.”

“M-my…” I stopped and swallowed. “My soul?”

He nodded, though he seemed to have trouble coming up with a way to explain himself. “Humans don’t have the ability to get in touch with their sixth sense as easily as spirits, but to put it simply… I can feel your emotions, and sometimes even your inclination. Not all the time, but when it’s a strong emotion, and when I’m closer to you.”

I chewed slowly, having trouble believing him. It seemed too farfetched.

“What am I feeling now?” I asked, my voice soft. I feared that he was telling the truth.

“It’s not really that simple… your emotions are so difficult for me to decipher. It just hits me like I’m feeling it myself, but human emotions are so wildly uncontrollable sometimes that I barely know if it’s fear or anger or… something entirely different.”

I took a deep breath, thankful for that at least. “Then… what does it feel like?”

“Right now? It’s warm,” he said, locking eyes with me. “And slow. Nothing like anger or fear. But I don’t know what you’re feeling. I can’t usually feel you though, so…” he stopped, his mouth open and his eyes directed away like he was thinking hard. “It’s something you’re feeling strongly.”

I felt myself shudder; that was so spot-on. It was confronting to know he could literally feel my emotions. I was relieved he couldn’t interpret the feelings; otherwise, this would have been much more awkward. He didn’t need to know why he made me feel so warm.

“So you felt it when I was afraid last night?”

“Of course. That’s why I came rushing back, but thankfully Jimin-” He suddenly stopped.

“Jimin?” I repeated.

“Ah… yes. Your pet wolf… he…” Hoseok had never seemed so hesitant before, but I didn’t have long to think about that.

“Dooley! Where’s that stupid dog?! I haven’t seen him since last night…!” I felt panic suddenly rise up and I met Hoseok’s eyes. The look in his eyes reflected mine.

“Yoongi, just calm down for a second. Dooley is fine, I promise.”

“Where is he?”

“Here,” I heard from the direction of Jungkook’s room: a low croak of a voice that made me spin in my seat and almost knock my food to the floor.

“What the hell-!” I exclaimed, gripping the sides of my plate. The guy that came out of my brother’s room was a stranger, half-dressed, and, apparently, my dog. His black hair was unbrushed, and he wore only my brother’s sweat pants.

“I’m Jimin… Nice to finally meet youin this form,” the boy said, scratching his head in a way that seemed a little nervous.

“Is anything in my life not supernatural?” I asked, glancing back at Hoseok. The Angel was looking at Jimin, and he directed his gaze at me when I spoke.

“Assuming that question is rhetorical…” Hoseok began, “Jimin is a Werewolf.” I took in the fact that Hoseok looked a little frazzled, and somewhere in my consciousness, I realised it was because he was experiencing my shock first-hand.

“Holy shit,” I said, looking back at the well-built, young-looking Demon who claimed to be Dooley. “Why are you living here? And not… doing whatever werewolves do?”

“Well… as far as I know,” Jimin began, standing awkwardly behind the couch on which we sat, “Werewolves either live with their pack or with the human on which they’ve imprinted.”

I stared at him for the entirety of the silence, which seemed to drag on for days.

“When Jungkook took me in and began caring for me, I-”

“You imprinted on my brother?” I almost snapped, cutting him off in sudden anger. “What does that even mean?” I asked, my head whipping towards Hoseok.

“It means he’s formed a spirit bond, even if it’s just one-sided, for now.”

“A spirit bond?”

“To spirit bonds, Wolves are the most susceptible of all Demons. Jungkook’s outpouring of love for ‘Dooley’ would have been impossible to resist. Humans use the term Soul-Mate, which is a surprisingly apt description.”

“B-but Jungkook doesn’t know he’s…” I looked hesitantly back at Jimin. “He doesn’t know you’re a Werewolf, right?” Jimin shook his head, reassuring me in one way, and alarming me in another. “So you’ve bonded with a human boy, who doesn’t know you’re anything but a dog?” Jimin’s expression showed he saw where this was going. “Are you saying… you’re in love with my brother?”

Albeit hesitantly, Jimin nodded. I had no words for that at all. How could he love my brother? How could he be attracted to a human when he wasn’t even one?

Coming from you, who blushes when an Angel gets within arm’s-reach? Okay, I thought, fair enough.

I sighed as I placed my almost-finished breakfast on the coffee-table. So many questions were in my mind, and it took a while to bring any in particular to attention.

“Why haven’t you told him?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“At the moment, it’s against the rules,” Jimin said with a frown. “Demons aren’t supposed to reveal the spirit world to humans who don’t know about it.” Jimin’s arms uncrossed and he wandered back into Jungkook’s room.

My brow pinched and I looked at Hoseok. “Then why did that Demon attack me? Wouldn’t that count as revealing himself?” I did a double-take towards my brother’s room as the four-legged, fluffy, black Dooley suddenly trotted out and sat at the front door. He always did that when he wanted to go outside. I just stared, realising after a second that it was Jimin. I barely noticed Hoseok getting up to open the door. The black beast trotted outside, and Hoseok came back to sit with me again.

“He had to leave in case Jungkook came back… anyway, as for your question; the vast majority of humans in this world are oblivious to the spirit realm from which the demons come. Of course, they have no reason to know about demons—or Angels, for that matter—since those who think with a clearer mind than most Demons make an attempt to keep it that way.” Hoseok always explained things in such depth, but that only raised more questions. I finally stopped staring at the door and looked back at him.

“So Demons only attack… or socialise with humans that know about the spirit world?”

“That’s right. It’s a rule for them, one they must follow, unless they want to face the wrath of Lilith, which I assume most would not.”

Lilith. I’d heard the name in books, stories and movies. “How does every Demon know which humans actually know about the spirit world? And how come that demon attacked me when I still didn’t know…?”

“Humans who know are marked. There’s a certain tint to their aura; all spirits can recognise a human with exposure to otherworldly beings. As for you… You’ve been marked since birth, Yoongi-yah.

“Demon Hunters become what they are by signing a pledge in their blood, and then drinking the blood of a demon. They become inflicted with a curse; though, some would not view it was a bad thing. Unintentionally, your father passed his mark onto you, so you have always been potential prey to demons.” I felt like there was so much more to ask about that—was I part Demon?—but something much more urgent tugged at my forethought.

“But… Not Jungkook?”

“No, not if he never finds out about Jimin.”

I felt my stomach drop. “Wouldn’t that mean Jungkook could never know he… he loves him?”

“Yes,” Hoseok admitted bitterly. He must have felt my sudden panic. “But it won’t happen that way. Jimin will, instinctively, when he feels like it’s the right time, reveal himself. With the knowledge, as I said, Jungkook will be marked.”

I felt tears spring in my eyes. It was as though my baby brother had been sentenced to death. I didn’t want to blame Jimin, but I was so suddenly upset. If he hadn’t imprinted, Jungkook could remain in the dark—safe—forever. That demon who had attempted to attack me had been enough for me to know that I didn’t want Jungkook anywhere near that, ever, and I fully intended to blame Jimin for exposing him to that.

“B-but I thought he wasn’t allowed to…?”

“When Jimin reaches maturity, it will be allowed. Sealing a spirit bond is sacred—an exception— especially for Werewolves.”

All these rules, I wasn’t sure if I could keep up, especially while I was so afraid for Jungkook, and so frustrated at Jimin.

“You shouldn’t be so angry at Jimin,” Hoseok whispered, and I blinked back the wetness in my eyes. I had barely known about it for half an hour and I already wished he couldn’t feel my emotions. I was so blindly angry that I could have exploded, but so devastated that the urge to cry was even stronger. My baby brother would be safe until that stupid wolf couldn’t keep it in his pants any longer. 

“Please talk to me.” Hoseok’s whisper was laced with frustrated agony. I met his gaze; in it were confusion and no lack of concern. As much as I hated his intrusive talent, I hated even more that he had to suffer through my over-emotional mind. 

“I-I-…” In the end, all I could do was stutter and tremble. Furious and terrified, I met his eyes and lost the battle with tears. 

If the embrace if my own personal Angel couldn’t calm me down, nothing could; he was so close, it was so easy, and I really needed the comfort. I curled against him and let out a good couple-of-minutes-worth of silent sobbing, and finally his soothing touch lulled me into blissful numbness. When I finally met his eyes, I wanted to break down all over again; he was still utterly confused and incredibly upset by my outburst, but he hadn’t even attempted to get it out of me while I cried. I wiped my eyes and took a few deep breaths. 

“Jungkook will be in so much danger when he’s marked,” I rasped, and I sniffed and cleared my throat. 

“Yoongi-”

“H-he could be safe from them for his entire life—I’d never risk him like that—but Jimin doesn’t love him enough to keep him safe from his world?!”

“Yoongi… can I explain?” I nodded, my gaze on his shirt. “Jimin has to reveal himself. He has imprinted. It’s not only something he craves, but it’s in his nature. He needs Jungkook now, and it’s not his fault it happened to be your brother he imprinted on, in fact if anything, it’s more Jungkook’s for showing him so much love. Even now, before Jungkook has learnt about my world, Jimin protects him completely. When Jungkook knows about demons and the dangers he may face, it will only make it easier for us to keep him safe. Jimin will never ever let anything happen to Jungkook. In reality, Jungkook is safer now, with a powerful demon ready to bond with him for life, than he would be without, because a human with whom a wolf has imprinted is completely off-limits to other Demons. The moment the bond is sealed, Jungkook becomes untouchable.”

Tears continued to stream down my face, but everything the Angel said seemed perfectly logical. Jimin had even saved my life. I had no reason to be mad at him whatsoever. Despite that, I continued to be furious, and Hoseok continued to suffer right with me. 

~


	9. Flying Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

I could barely believe it when Yoongi so readily leant against me, curled his head into my chest, and clutched at my jacket. He had been completely traumatised last time he let me hold him, and that, on top of the aching I could feel through our bond, solidified for me just how upset he was. I shouldn’t have let Jimin reveal himself yet; it was too soon.

My brow pinched in sorrow and regret. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight, wishing I knew how to stop his tears. He let me explain that his brother wouldn’t be in danger, but it barely made a difference. It was as though it wasn’t only this he cried for, but all of the surprise and fear I’d put him through thus far. Such powerful emotions were terribly confronting. They shook me as hard as they did him. I could feel him trembling slightly, and I had no idea what I should do.

As I held him, he slowly began to calm down. The silence dragged on with just his occasional sniffling to break it up. I felt weighed down by the knowledge that I’d made him so upset, to the point where I had to apologise.

“Yoongi… I’m sorry,” I said, though I wanted to say more.

“For what?” he croaked. He looked up and met my eyes—our faces so very close that I could barely keep him in focus—and suddenly went very tense. He cleared his throat and pulled purposefully away from my embrace. Suddenly, that ambiguous warmth flooded him and buffeted me like a wave. When he was sitting against the other arm of the couch, he wiped his eyes and nose, and curled into a ball with his arms around his knees.

Was he suddenly embarrassed to be close to me? I knew that he was usually averted to my closeness, but he’d been so relaxed a moment ago, in fact, dependent on the closeness.

“Ah…” I began, planning to answer his question. Neither did I remember what I was going to say, nor could I stop thinking about the heat that he seemed to throw at me. I shook my head, completely stumped by him, which wasn’t a first.

“I need to talk to Jungkook,” Yoongi suddenly said, and leapt up off the couch. I watched as he strode towards his bedroom and his door swung closed behind him. I sighed. I knew he wouldn’t tell his brother, he wasn’t that silly. Maybe that was just a way for him to deal with his pain and worry.

~

I decided to get up and stretch my legs, since I’d been stationary since I arrived here the day before. With no real reason to move, I simply hadn’t. I didn’t really have anywhere to go, so I stretched my body and then walked around a little, just looking at things inside his house. There didn’t seem to have been much thought put into decoration or arrangement in the small home. Plain, simple, and relatively tidy, it looked just as one would expect were there only young men living there. As long as one could easily reach the fridge and the couches faced the television, there wasn’t a problem.

Yoongi resurfaced from his bedroom after a good half an hour, but seemed distracted and downright miserable. He avoided talking, and did a few things before heading back into his room. It was a long day, and we didn’t speak again until much later.

Yoongi came out of his room around two-thirty. He didn’t look at me right away, but I couldn’t help watching him. He walked with less energy than usual, and seemed just as dejected as before. I couldn’t feel him aching or sizzling with anger anymore, which was enough to reassure me, if only a little.

“I-if Jungkook is going to be revealed to all of this,” Yoongi suddenly said, and then he paused. He looked up at me and I stood up straighter. “Then I really want you to train me. I need to… I-I… I can’t be useless.”

Yoongi had seemed hesitant to let me train him before, but for Jungkook, he was willing to do anything. I just nodded and offered him a small smile, hoping it would coax one out of him.

“Of course. If it will make you feel better, we can start any time.”

Yoongi held my eyes for a few moments and then looked away, nodding. “I need the distraction.”

I took in a deep breath and went to sit back on the couch. He followed my lead, still looking small and out-of-sorts.

“Is there anything you’re afraid of?” I asked him, thinking that things like that would be a good place to start. It was a question entirely intended to start conversation, because I knew he was afraid of almost everything.

“Heights,” he said, like he had a particular reason to fear them.

I felt my brows pinch. 

“Or just… I dunno, danger… Situations where I could get hurt. That sounds wimpy but… I-I get scared easily.”

That’s more like what I had expected. “That’s not wimpy; that’s practical,” I said, glad it wasn’t particularly heights that frightened him. I’d fantasised about taking him flying with me—showing him the world in all its glory from the sky. I was starting to think he wouldn’t appreciate that yet, but I was sure I could help him accustom to it.

“I suppose,” he said, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “Jungkook is a lot more reckless than I am. He stays out really late without telling me where he is and always tries to catch bugs and snakes and gross stuff like that when he’s outside… He got bitten once, but thankfully the snake had no poison...”

“Venom,” I corrected with a smile. “According to my knowledge of biology, snakes have venom.” 

Yoongi nodded thoughtfully, “right, venom,” he said. “Anyway… he still does it. He’s such a handful.”

“You aren’t the only one taking care of him, remember,” I reminded him, and as I did, the front door swung open and let in two bustling boys, one on two legs and one on four; neither of them payed a moment’s attention to Yoongi nor me.

“I guess,” Yoongi said, watching his brother as he laughed loudly and chased his ‘puppy’ through the kitchen to his bedroom. “Ugh, he didn’t even close the door.”

I just smiled, watching as Yoongi went to close the door and right the furniture Jungkook and his wolf had knocked during their animated entrance. While he was up he went to the sink and poured himself a cup or water. Jungkook really was his only concern––every time he stressed it was directly linked to his brother. 

He came and sat with me again, holding his cup with both hands and staring into nothing.   
“So, danger… what else do you find dangerous?”

Yoongi took a deep breath and pondered for a moment. “Animals. Big animals and… venomous animals.”

“Like… Sharks?” I asked, seeming confused as to what he’d find dangerous.

“Of course…”

“Why would you be afraid of sharks? Have you seen any around here?”

“No,” he said, shooting me a look. “But that’s not what I mean. I’m afraid of the snakes Jungkook tries to show me and… Other people’s dogs and… horses and cows and-”

“Horses?” I interrupted, genuinely surprised.

“Y… yeah.”

“Why?”

“They’re huge…”

I had learnt that he didn’t enjoy being patronised, so I tried not to smile. 

With horses, I was familiar. Their counterparts in the spirit world were a beast with which I had no trouble bonding. I understood them; a great deal more than humans, that’s for sure. Maybe mortal horses would be similar. 

~

I leant against the wooden poles that divided me from the young stallion to which I planned to introduce my human. Yoongi was much less excited. When I’d asked him if he knew anyone that had horses, his brother had wandered into the living room, still panting slightly.

“There’s a stable right near work, remember, Hyung?” Jungkook had said, and Yoongi seemed determined to dissuade me from taking us there. “I’m Jungkook, by the way.”

I had smiled and introduced myself back, assuming he’d thought I was just one of Yoongi’s friends.

“I don’t think they’ll want us to just walk in and-”

“There’s nobody there at this time unless it’s the owners of the agistment horses. There’s a pretty black one that always eats my leftover lunch.”

I smiled as Yoongi directed a disapproving glance at his brother.

So here we were, and the black stallion was ignoring us since he hadn’t smelt any food. Jungkook had been right—there was nobody around. Yoongi let him stay home alone since we weren’t far away, or at least that’s what he told him. I knew it was because he now had reason to trust Jimin to keep him safe.

“Come,” I said, beckoning as I climbed through the post and rail fence.

“Wh-what? In there? No thank you!”

Yoongi’s shaking tone made me sigh. I stood straight and whistled lowly at the beast. His ear twitched and he turned his head. Still munching lazily on his hay, he swung his back end around and locked his gaze on me. He seemed surprised that I was on his side of the fence.

I approached him slowly, my body language calm and unthreatening. He lowered his head and stopped chewing for a few moments. He was certainly not shy around humans, but cautious of me as a stranger. It felt so wonderful to be around such an animal after so long interacting with just humans and demons. His aura was so free and innocent, and he was full of wild curiosity and plenty of potential for affection. He must be young and untrained. The sun beat down on his glossy, black coat and he shone spectacularly. He really was a wonderful example of a horse.

He allowed me to approach, facing me fully now with the hay gone from his mouth. He sniffed my face and shoulder, and then my hand when I offered. Stroking his strong shoulder sent a shudder of thrill down my spine. His power coursed through me, so raw and untamed. He blinked slowly, and I knew he could feel that I wasn’t like anybody else he’d met. Animals were much closer to their sixth sense than humans, and this stallion enjoyed my company already.

“Yoongi, come,” I said quietly, turning my head to catch his eyes. I hadn’t expected him to look so enthralled, staring at me with wide eyes.

He shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously.

“He won’t hurt you, I promise. You know I’d never let him hurt you.”

Finally, Yoongi crawled in and approached slowly. I reached my hand out towards him, forgetting momentarily that all of this skinship made him uncomfortable. Just as I realised, he reached out and took my hand anyway.

I shivered. If I hadn’t been in the middle of something, I would have given myself a moment to appreciate the comforting feel of being so close to him, and feeling his hand in mine. Maybe I was becoming influenced by his reactions to me, because I swore it was never this intense before. It had always felt reassuring, but now it felt good: comforting and warm.

“He’s young and very spirited,” I said quietly, leading Yoongi until he was standing right beside me. I could feel his pulse in his hand; he was nervous. “Don’t panic, he’s very calm right now.”

“H-he’s so big…”

I just smiled and lifted our entwined hands. Yoongi shrank back when he realised I was trying to bring his hand to the stallion’s neck. The quick movement frightened the beast and he took a few steps back, his head flicking upwards and causing his long, untangled mane to fly. It would have been rather spectacular had I not been focused on my human’s momentary heart attack.

“Yoongi,” I cooed, taking both of his hands in mine then. The stallion turned his head back to his food and began chewing away.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s just scary…”

I hadn’t thought he would be this afraid. I took a deep breath and squeezed his hands. He really was trembling now, and I felt it so deeply in my soul that I had to get him out of there.

~

That evening, I didn’t go back to the house, but went to speak with Jimin in the forest while Yoongi went to dinner with Jungkook and explained why I was living with them now, or his excuse of why, anyway. I stayed there for a while, discussing a few things with Jimin, especially Yoongi’s concerns about his relationship with Jungkook. Taehyung was incredibly quiet, not even adding sassy comments when the opportunity presented itself, but I didn’t linger on the thought—it was a relief.

A few hours after dark, I sent for my Archangel; I had questions. Dujun sat with me on my favourite log, though he made it look a lot more graceful. His wings were larger, and almost glowed with all of the power he had coursing through his spirit.

“I want to help his confidence grow, and help him overcome some of his fear, but he’s so easily frightened.”

“Your charge has a lot to fear, especially now.”

I felt so guilty at his truthful words. He had lost his parents, and his only family, Jungkook, depended on him for everything. On top of living in a new country where he had to struggle every day with language, Jungkook only made it more difficult by doing everything to make Yoongi worry. Even if it wasn’t intentional, Yoongi suffered and stressed every day because of it.

On top of all of that, I revealed him to my world, one which must have seemed incredibly unbelievable and intimidating to a careful, young man like himself.

“What should I do? I don’t know how to help him.”

“I can’t tell you how to make his fear disappear; it won’t work like that. Give him reason to feel confident. Train his body and his mind. Show him how powerful you are, and remind him that he’s in no danger, and nor is his brother.”

I took a deep breath. The Archangel always had something useful to say.

“If you decide to show him the world from the air, you could take off from the cliff just south of here. Go with him to the top and take off from there. From that height, you’ll just look like a predatory bird to anybody on the ground.”

I watched in envy as he flew back upwards, something I wished I could feel again. Maybe, if I took his advice, I could.

~

On the weekend, I decided to begin Yoongi’s training with fitness and focus, so that I knew he would be ready for and comfortable with the sorts of things I planned to teach him. He began the training excitedly, listening well and happily following my lead. He was acting much less distressed now, and I figured he had just needed time. Jungkook seemed amused that I had decided to live with them, and Jimin refused to enlighten me as to why, though I knew he was aware.

Yoongi and I jogged south up a well-worn path through the forest, and I encouraged him to keep up while I sprinted up a short, steep incline. We slowed to a leisurely walk for a few hundred metres, and he seemed a little too breathless to chat, so I let him catch his breath before we jogged again. It was clear we were heading upwards and I knew Yoongi didn’t like heights, but I didn’t expect him to become so easily worried. I could feel his anxiety through our bond and I slowed to a walk. He slowed beside me and glanced up, meeting my eyes for just a second. My brow rose when he did a double-take and stared at me. 

“What?”

“You’re… sweating.”

I grinned. “Of course.”

“I just- n-never mind.”

After a few more slow steps, I said: “I can tell you’re worried about how high up we are.”

I hadn’t looked away from him since we’d slowed down, and I watched as his face contorted into a mask of discomfort. “I thought you couldn’t understand my feelings.”

“Does that mean I’m correct?”

“Yes,” he admitted, and began fanning his face with his hand. 

“Then I must be getting better at it.”

We were coming to a clearing, and Yoongi gasped when he noticed just how high up we were. Just twenty metres from a cliff-edge, we stood very close to a two-hundred-foot drop. 

“H-Hoseok-ah… this is really high up.”

“You said you’re afraid of heights, so I want to show you why shouldn’t be.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to take you flying.”

A short, shocking surge of emotion made me tense slightly, but it was short-lived, and he managed to hide it from his face. I knew that flying would worry him, but I also knew he had to become accustomed eventually. 

“Won’t people see?”

“At this height, we’ll look like a predatory bird,” I quoted. 

“I suppose…”

Yoongi walked a few steps behind me, cautious of the ledge. I approached it, my feet finding purchase on the potentially crumbly soil, and looked over the town below, and the city in the distance. A little further was the ocean and its calm, blue stillness. 

“Can you see the beach?” I asked him, pointing ahead and looking back at him. He was further back than I thought, and I reached my other hand out to him, palm up. 

He nodded and then glanced at my hand. “No, I’m fine here.”

“Yoongi,” I said, my tone changing, and took a few steps towards him. He didn’t move, just holding my eyes sternly. “Unzip me, then,” I said and walked right up to him. I turned my back to him, and he sent me a gentle throb of warmth. I wouldn’t have felt it had he not been so close. It was frustrating that I couldn’t figure it out. So much like embarrassment, but just different enough to not be, his emotions were soon going to drive me to impatience.

Yoongi dragged my vest’s short, golden zippers down, one after the other, and then stepped back. His expression indicated that he was amazed, probably because my vest was engineered to allow my wings to fit through it. The shirt underneath had slits as well, that were always open to allow the free movement of my wings. I turned around and straightened my back before letting my wings spring free and unfold. Yoongi’s breath caught and he stumbled back a step. I stretched and flapped my stiff, feathered limbs with a content sigh. 

“Whoa.” Yoongi’s breathless exclamation made me smile. “They’re huge.”

“They’d want to be. I’m not as light as a bird, you know.”

“A-are you sure you can carry us both?” He sounded breathless and in awe, still staring at my wings.

I didn’t let him think for a second that I doubted it and hurried to reassure him. “I promise I can carry you easily. Just let me stretch my wings, since I haven’t flown properly in a long time.”

Yoongi just nodded, keeping his eyes on me. I walked over to the ledge and stretched my wings a little more, then my arms and my waist. I was, surprisingly, a little nervous. I had never gone this long without spreading my wings to open air and trusting them to carry me. The occasional beat of my wings to boost my jump wasn’t enough to reassure me that I was still a confident flier. I felt strength surge through them as I flapped them slowly, working them just until I could feel their strength through my back and shoulders. 

“I’ll be back,” I said, and took a breath to settle my nervous anticipation. 

I stepped back away from the ledge and rocked back on my haunches. Three long strides and I jumped. As soon as the wind caught my wings and began to carry me outwards, all doubt and fear fizzled away.

This freedom was something I had missed. I flapped a few times to raise myself up and then confidently circled back towards the ledge and my awe-stricken charge.

“Y-you really just-…” Yoongi stuttered as I came to a running halt on the grass. 

“That’s what it took for you to believe me?” I asked, exhaling as I walked over to him. 

He didn’t look at my face but at my wings as he spoke. “Well… It was something I hadn’t exactly thought about…”

“So, now that you’ve seen me fly, will you come with me?” I extended my hand towards him, leaving him almost no alternative.

“Ahh…” He hesitated and I felt the anxiety build up. “Oh-okay…”

I smiled as his fingers touched my palm. I was going to show him how safe he was with me. I led him to the edge of the cliff and stroked his hand with my thumb as it tightened in mine. 

Yoongi exhaled, beginning to shudder as I pulled him against me. His body was so warm from his exercise that I wondered if I should let him rest a little longer before this. 

“Are you ready?” I asked, just to be sure.

“As I’ll ever be,” he breathed, turning his head away from me. 

“Hold on to me,” I said, winding my arms around his waist. He gasped slightly and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Are you afraid?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be. Just hold on.”

His face buried in the gap between his arm and my neck, and I didn’t let him wait a second longer. Holding his slim waist tightly, I leant back over the edge and spread my wings. 

Just as I expected, they caught the wind perfectly, and with a few hard beats we twisted to face upwards and began sailing smoothly.

Yoongi, however, did not react how I expected. His legs suddenly wrapped around my hips and he pulled himself against me with all of his might. I didn’t have a moment to feel suffocated, because his terror gripped me as roughly as it gripped him, and I almost panicked. “Yah, I told you I’m not going to drop you!” I shouted over the wind, and I felt him tremble strongly against me. I circled back and glided over the trees. “Yoongi, j-just open your eyes! It’s not that bad!” His fear was mesmerizing me so powerfully that I could barely control my voice. I felt his fists clench in my vest with shaking hands, and finally it was too much.

For the second time since I’d been in charge of Yoongi, I found myself utterly terrified. The first had been when I thought I was going to lose him to that Vampire, and that time the fear had been mostly my own. This time, I brought us hastily back to earth, not because of my fear for his life, but his own fear. I never thought his emotions could affect me so strongly that he drove me to such weakness. 

My legs trembled so much that my landing turned into a graceful fall to my knees. 

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh god oh god oh god,” he chanted breathlessly, as though we hadn’t landed safely. I attempted to loosen my grip around him but he only clung harder in response. He cowered in my arms, latching onto me with shaking limbs, and our hearts thumped violently against our chests. I couldn’t even speak until he calmed down a little, and I stroked his hair with trembling fingers. 

“Why are you afraid? I’d never let anything happen to you.”

“It’s jus-st s-sc-cary…” His teeth chattered and he buried his face against my neck. “What if-f I f-f-fell?”

I was surprised that I managed to decipher that from his muffled voice.

“That would never happen, Yoongi. Never.”

He didn’t seem quite so reassured for a while, but eventually he relaxed and let his arms slip from my shoulders, and his legs from my hips.

“Is there a way I can make it less frightening?” I asked, ducking to catch his eyes. Yoongi seemed too embarrassed to look at me, so I sat up and sighed, and stroked my fingers through his hair and down his neck. “Let’s go back home,” I suggested, and Yoongi suddenly stood.

I watched for a moment as he marched off in the direction from which we’d come. My heart still thudded from his fright, but that slow warmth I’d felt so many times was seeping its way through our bond, and my brows knitted as I began to trail slowly behind him. What was it that he so often felt around me that he wouldn’t explain?

~


	10. One Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Taehyung

After a long, lazy nap on Jimin’s make-shift leaf-bed, I felt refreshed and ready for a night out on the town. Since becoming a Wolf, it took a lot more to get me drunk, but tipsy was enough to have fun, especially when it was a busy Friday night. I managed to hold off entering a new club until it was really hopping—after 12am—and with a big-eyed, cute smile at the Bouncer, I was let right in. He didn’t even check my ID, but that wasn’t a surprise. Apparently, with immortality came undeniable attractiveness, and that worked to my advantage. 

Before the attack—before I became what I am—I was average. I had good grades and few friends, and was well on my way to getting into college. I hadn’t known my mother was a Werewolf, and I certainly hadn’t known it was her who killed my father. She was out of control, and on the few occasions that I allowed myself to reminisce, I realised that I didn’t miss her all that much. I missed my father, and the loving guidance he had offered a younger me. 

For biting me and revealing the spirit world, my mother was brought to justice and destroyed. She was not an Alpha or a Beta wolf, however, and had no power to change me. If it weren’t for the Beta of my current pack, I would have died. He had not been the one to change my mother, but he kept an eye on her as she attempted to deal with her newly granted immortality. He was there when she bit me, and out of pure rage, he killed her on the spot. I was too terrified of her to mourn at the time, and the Beta seemed to notice.

We were inside my house, and I had been arguing with my mother since early in the morning. I knew I pushed her too far, but I couldn’t have known she was going to shift into a Lycanthrope and try to kill me. I was young, hormonal, and so scared that I think I wet myself while I was cowering against the corner of the bench on the kitchen floor in a puddle of my own blood. The Beta looked over at me as he dropped my mother’s limp, human form to the floor. My hands trembled as I tried to hold them over my shoulder—where I was bitten—to stop the bleeding, but it was too painful. My heart thudded with adrenaline: the only thing keeping me from passing out.

“I’m sorry I didn’t stop her in time,” the deep voice apologised. It was the only sound aside from my heavy panting and slight whimpers, and I pushed myself up to move towards the stranger.

“P-please,” I gasped. “Don’t let me die… I don’t want to d-die!” I choked as soon as I finished speaking, and warm blood gushed out of my mouth.

“You don’t want to become like her, child,” he assured me, but I only sobbed harder, realising that he hadn’t reassured me. I was going to die.

“Please… please…”

My fingers left bloody trails down his leg, and I didn’t see his expression until he crouched down and closed his hands around my shoulders. I managed to tip my head up and meet his concerned gaze.

“If I bite you, you’ll become a Werewolf, boy. Do you really want that?”

The fear trembled through me, so potent that I forgot all about my pain.

“You’ll live, if that’s what you want. You’ll become like her.”

“Don’t let me die,” I breathed, barely noticing tears streaking my cheeks.

The rest of the memory is a blurry mess, but I remember pain: so much that I did pass out in the end. I began life as an immortal curled up in my lonely bedroom, desperate for answers, and terrified of the Wolf inside me. 

Jimin found me after the first few weeks, when I finally encountered a full moon and couldn’t hold the Lycan down. If it weren’t for him, I’m sure I would have killed on that night. Jimin taught me to control myself, explaining everything in the most natural way so that I could easily understand. He was lucky, growing up with the instincts and urges of the beast, and he helped me take charge of what I had become. My pack never sought me out, but sometimes I noticed their howls in the night, and wondered what it would be like to join them.

Even if I preferred to appear human and he preferred to appear Lupe, Jimin and I spent a lot of time in the same form, socialising as humans and play-fighting as beasts. It was in Lupe form that I first met my sire, the sandy-coloured wolf that appeared to me first as an ash-blond human. He didn’t seem too interested in me, and the first thing he did after sniffing me was show me who was boss. His jaws clamped down on my shoulder and he dragged me to the soil. He left a mark on the opposite shoulder, matching the one he left when he changed me. After that, he shifted back into his human form and introduced himself. Despite being a whimpering mess in the leaf litter, I listened carefully.

“I am Jung Daehyun, the only Beta for your pack.” He stood tall, all his olive-skinned, muscled glory on display, and the forest seemed to quieten as if to cower from his presence.

After that, he spewed out some initiation-based explanation for why he mercilessly tore a hole in my shoulder, and then left me to limp back to Jimin so he could lick my wound.

Even now, years later, I couldn’t fully control the one part of me that was the most dangerous: the Lycan. Sometimes Jimin stayed with me, keeping me calm with his company until it was too much, and literally knocking me out before I could change. I hadn’t been happy with him the first time he did that, but he told me there was only one other way. We tried the other way: chaining me up.

It was hell. 

There is nothing worse than spending ten hours in steel cuffs, writhing with the uncontrollable urge to break free, run, hunt, maim, kill, and so I continued to let him knock me out. The headache I woke up with was nothing in comparison. 

Stupid Jimin and his innate self-control and perseverance; I was so jealous that he could sit there as Anthrokos, just watching my Lycan snap and roar at him. I was still working on finding that control, but I wasn’t yet mature, and I couldn’t find anything to hold onto while I focused. Jimin said there had to be something that I loved and believed in: something I could focus on and trust while I tried not to let the moon control me. I tried to think about my father, but it was never enough. My mother made it worse; she made me so angry. I had drifted away from my human friends since I no longer went to school or even to my old home, and my demon friends (such as the pack I had little contact with) were of even less help than my dead parents. 

“One day,” Jimin told me, patting my shoulder as the spike of fire shot up my spine, begging to burst free and rip my human form to shreds on its way out. He was so calm that I snarled at him, more Lycan than human. “One day you’ll imprint, and you’ll realise exactly why you’re here on earth.”  
I whined and writhed, trembles wracking my body, and almost let it take over before Jimin’s powerful fist put me out. 

As I made my way into the club, I realised that it wasn’t long until the next full moon, but that only made the ‘hunt’ more exciting: more addictive. I wandered lazily inside the dimly-lit interior of the new venue; it was a reconstructed cafe, now a classy, two-storey club with loud music and a large dance floor. The more expensive bar was upstairs, and I figured that’s where the richer humans would be. So, up I went. 

I tingled with anticipation, meeting eyes with a few of the well-dressed, even better-built, young American men that lined the glass countertop, though I was aware of their disinterest in me. It couldn’t hurt to admire their presence. 

An hour passed and I managed to talk two drinks out of a bartender, but I couldn’t feel the buzz yet, not even if they had been double-strength. I was going to have to look harder, find a trick in here.   
Walking around downstairs proved more fruitful. The looks I got from some of the men on the dance floor were promising, and in the next hour I managed to get a few more drinks.

I was eyeing a tall, handsome Korean guy until an even taller kid approached him and seduced him until he was almost on his knees. I moved around, frustrated the attractive yet awkward stranger had been taken from me, but realised when I got closer that the ‘kid’ was actually a friend of mine. Not just any kid, either—he was a Wolf. Junhong was his name, and I’d met him as a snowy-white Lupe when I was still very young to the world of Demons. He smelt spicy like cinnamon and always looked like he was smiling, even his Lupe. I wasn’t surprised the human had fallen into his trap; he was beautiful.

A few more rounds of the place, a few more drinks, but nothing exceptional tied me down. Junhong even disappeared, so I assumed he got lucky. I wasn’t about to name it the worst Friday night at the clubs, but when it reached two am and I hadn’t hooked up, I felt frustrated enough to go home. Two fifteen, two thirty, and finally two forty-five, and I turned grumpily away from the dance floor to head home. I gasped as I ran straight into someone, and stumbled over an apology, attempting not to make a further fool of myself. Long fingers suddenly slid through mine and held on, and I shot a surprised look at the stranger’s masculine hand in mine. 

“Let me buy you a drink.”

With a honey-smooth voice, not to mention an alluring offer, said stranger was suddenly very appealing. 

I glanced up, met his eyes, and felt my body betray me with a shudder of delight. Good god, those lips. If a human could be perfect, that is what he would look like. I tried to snap out of the lidded-eyes look, and nodded at his offer. 

Three expensive drinks. 

Kim Seokjin. 

Another two drinks. 

Gosh, he’s smooth as fuck. 

Another two drinks. 

He seemed very into me, which was convenient, considering the Wolf in me was about to tear his clothes off and take him right there. I was at the point where a human would have passed out, and it hadn’t occurred to me that he certainly noticed my surreal high-tolerance. I was beginning to slur, and beyond resisting the urge to let my hands wander his denim sleeves and leather thighs. He talked a little, about his day and other trivial things, just enough to justify the impending one-night-stand. I was lost in the seductively-inclined voice that he had probably reserved for the occasion, when a warm hand returned my advances by trailing up my thigh. He really shouldn’t be leading me on, I thought, because there was something very animalistic about my sex-drive, especially when alcohol was involved, and he was about to drive me exhibitionism. 

He leant close, and closeness felt good. I needed to be closer. I tilted my head, and he met my lips eagerly. The Wolf slipped out in the form of a desperate whimper. He groaned when he kissed me deeper, the hot muscle of his tongue hungrily prodding the silver stud in mine. I didn’t usually let them kiss me in the club. I’d make them desperate, have them begging me and treating me like royalty before they could get anywhere near my mouth. 

“We should get out of here,” Seokjin breathed, his lips moving in my hair. 

I agreed so quickly that I almost felt embarrassed. 

~

I didn’t get a second to take in my surroundings before I was thrown down onto a firm, queen-sized bed. I shuffled towards the headboard as he crawled towards me, gulping down a few deep breaths to calm the raging Anthrokos inside me. I knew I could stay in human form—I wouldn’t be doing this if I couldn’t—but it didn’t hurt to take precautions. It was the first time a human had stirred me up like this in a while.

My tongue darted out to wet my lips as I watched him kneel and unbutton his white shirt. I could have stared at him for a lot longer, but I certainly didn’t mind when he broke the eye-contact to continue devouring my lips. Seokjin didn’t rush anything, and he had me exactly where he wanted me. As though I wasn’t already complete rubble in his hands, he managed to unravel me further, not even undressing completely before he slowly drove his length inside me. I whined, feeling my humanity slip through my fingers like dry, white sand.

I cursed, trying not to leave actual claw-marks in the soft skin of his broad shoulders. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to—everything he wanted, he simply took it. I moved willingly, meeting his body’s demands like nothing else mattered. I sucked on the moist skin at his throat, mostly to avoid letting myself bite him. It wasn’t entirely successful, though he only moaned deeper when my teeth did happen to sink into his skin.

Seokjin milked an hour and a half for everything it was worth. We lay together, half-gasping for air, half-falling to sleep right after the third round. I couldn’t truly relax enough to sleep—I would immediately lose the precarious grip I had on my human form, and I couldn’t risk that. A few moments of calm and then he sat up, re-dressing in any of the clothes he actually took off, and then sitting back on the bed. I thought about getting up, finding my pants, and making a move out of there, but I was exhausted and not yet prepared to never see him again.

“Mind if I ask you a few questions?” His voice was somehow smooth, but deep and weary-sounding.

Alarm bells went off in response to his words, but I hid my suspicion with a shrug.

“How many other Wolves live in this area?”

Suspicions confirmed. My body stiffened.

“What,” he began, an almost patronising tone taking over, “you couldn’t tell I’m a Demon-Hunter? You mustn’t be native.”

“D-demon… h-h-h…” I saw my life flash before my eyes, and my limbs began to work towards the goal of scampering away from him.

Seokjin just smirked. “I’m not going to hurt you; you haven’t done anything wrong. I just want to talk to you.”

I pulled the dark beige quilt over myself to cover up my semi-nakedness, though my fingers were trembling. “Seriously?”

He just nodded, his serious though soft almond eyes holding mine.

“Okay… But why do you want to know about other Wolves?”

“Not just other Wolves, but other earth-bound spirits lingering in this area. The numbers are increasing rapidly, and I want to know why.”

I blinked nervously and looked away. “I don’t know why numbers are increasing—I didn’t even notice. There are a few other Wolves that frequent the area, but we don’t stay in one place.” That was a whole lot of lies, but I couldn’t bear to put my friends in any sort of danger.

“You stay in place long enough to stink like every single one of them.” I knew he was referring to my aura: the way spirits I’m close to me would ‘rub off’ on me, so that other spirits could tell who I knew, who I spent time around, and most importantly for Wolves, who—if anyone—I belonged to. “There were at least six Demons in the club tonight—they’re with my Hunter colleagues right now—do you think I’m stupid?”

I had only noticed Junhong, and that worried me. A human with a half-demon soul had a stronger sixth sense than I did… I gulped and avoided his gaze. What worried me more was the thought that Junhong, and possibly more Demons I knew, were now being interrogated in the same way I was.

“Look, I know there’s something in this town that’s drawing demons here. If you know anything, you’d better not keep it from me.”

“I don’t!” I snapped, meeting his eyes to show I was serious. “I know a few other demons—Wolves, Cambions, and Vampires that sometimes hunt around here and sometimes don’t. There is only one imprinted Wolf I know of, and he stays in one place. The only other spirit is an Angel that sticks like glue to his human, and there’s no reason for that to compel Demons, right? They’d be more likely to avoid a protected area.”

My rant had set him thinking. His brows creased and his handsome face tilted slightly. “Do you know the human?”

“The Angel’s human? Barely. He guards it as though I might have some interest in it.”

“So you don’t know why the human has an Angel?”

I thought for a moment. I did know, but I cared enough about Jimin to help protect his imprinted human’s brother. I didn’t care all that much about the human, but I did care about Hoseok. If this Demon-Hunter had some bone to pick with them, I would rather keep him away than lead him closer.

“I can see you formulating a lie, Kim Taehyung.”

I scowled at him.

“I’m here to keep Demons in line, all right? If that Angel or his human know something that could lead me to the cause of the sudden increase in attacks in this town…” He paused for effect, and his dark eyes were intimidatingly persuasive. “I promise I won’t hurt anybody that isn’t doing anything wrong.”

“What do you think they’re doing, some sort of summoning ritual? The Angel just sits in his house and watches him, and the human is shit-scared of everything that moves, so there’s no way they’re doing anything wrong. You’re the bad guy here, seducing me and then bullying me into condemning my friends.”

Seokjin smiled then, and a look of pure appreciation crossed his features. I could tell he meant what he said. He didn’t want to hurt me, or my friends. That didn’t make his looming, solid figure any less intimidating, now that I knew what he was capable of. Despite his relaxed stance, his open shirt revealed a well-maintained body, decorated with a few nasty scars. My lips twisted while my eyes wandered, and I met his eyes.

“More or less likely to sleep with me now you know I’ve been trained to kill your kind?”

I swallowed thickly and felt my dick stir. “More.”

~

Despite the tempting offer, we were too exhausted to go for any more rounds that night, and I decided to get out of there before I fell asleep in his dangerously comfortable bed. 

As I glanced back at him, my body relaxing enough for my eyes to glitter their wolfy amber, I knew this wasn’t the last time I’d see Kim Seokjin. 

The first thing I did when I got to the forest was undress and store my clothes in my concealed trunk under some buttress roots, and change into Lupe. I rushed towards Jimin’s usual meeting place, wondering if anybody would be there, but these days he and the Angel slept in the humans’ house. I curled up on the leaf bed, thoughts of a chestnut-haired Demon-Hunter lulling me into a restless sleep. 

~

A little before dawn, the shrill ringing of communication howls dragged me into consciousness. With a growl, I got to my feet and blinked myself awake. I shook my fur free of leaves and yawned. After a long stretch, the howls echoed again, even closer than before. Despite my frustration about being woken, I howled back. 

It only took a few moments for the Lupes to come into view. Fluffy white fur caught my eyes, and behind it, a shorter, stockier Lupe with a light coat: the colour of his ashen blond hair. Junhong and my sire, Daehyun, approached at a trot. The younger Lupe bumped his head against mine and I nuzzled back affectionately. It was difficult to resist his cuteness, especially when small, distressed whimpers left his throat. Daehyun sniffed me experimentally, but we were beyond the need for a show of dominance—his Lupe was well above mine in the pecking order, and I didn’t argue. 

For a while, we curled together in that form, enjoying the comfort we could get from simply being in each other’s company. As pack animals, we didn’t require much more than this. Eventually, as the morning sun cut through the pine canopy, Daehyun decided there was something he wanted to talk about. He was the first to shift, and just a look encouraged both of us to do the same. 

“You were in that club last night as well, right?” The eldest said first, crouching over the leaves to prevent getting too dirty. I just nodded and he continued. “I can smell the Hunter on you, too.”

“What did he ask you about?” Junhong suddenly questioned, and his huge eyes were void of any smiles today. 

“Other wolves. Other demons. He wants to know why there are so many spirits in this area at the moment...”

“What did you tell him?” Daehyun asked. “Did you mention us?”

“Of course not. I told him that there were some Demons here that I knew, but nobody I knew was hunting. I didn’t mention any names or packs. I wouldn’t do that to you guys.”

Junhong shuffled closer and nuzzled my shoulder. It wasn’t difficult to pick native wolves from those who were changed, simply by the animalistic way in which they behaved, even while in Anthrokos from like we were. 

“I don’t want any trouble with Demon-Hunters for this pack,” Daehyun explained. “We should move on.”

Since I was technically a member of Daehyun’s father’s pack, that ‘we’ included me. I had never spent any amount of time with them and tended to live by myself, but I wouldn’t be able to resist following them if they were to go too far. Junhong was one of my closest wolf friends, and it definitely would be a shock to never see the pack again. 

I decided to change the subject, since there were other things on my mind. “If you’re native, why couldn’t you tell that there were Hunters in the club?”

Daehyun’s lips pulled down at the corners. “Alcohol dampens our sixth sense… as well as the likelihood that we would even bother to check who is marked. I’m assuming the Hunters chose to seek us out in that environment for that reason entirely.”

I was beyond the stage in my development as a Wolf to care that there was a naked boy draped across my lap. A couple of years ago, I would have shied from the seemingly strange affection, but Junhong was just as much a puppy in this form as he was in Lupe form. I stroked his snowy hair absently; the contemplating look on Daehyun’s face held my attention. 

“We should lie low for now. See if any other demons like blood-suckers are being targeted. Can I trust you to stay in the woods for a while, Taehyung?”

I tried not to roll my eyes. “I guess.”

“And Jimin; does his pack know about this yet?”

I shrugged. “This isn’t his area. He lives in our territory, right?”

Daehyun nodded once, still deep in thought. His narrow eyes fell on the giant boy in my lap and softened. 

“The Hunter didn’t hurt you?” He questioned, and I felt my eyes widen slightly. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Daehyun would be looking out for me, but he had never shown me affection before. The closest we’d ever gotten was the moment he dragged me to the ground with his jaws closed on my shoulder, and I never got particularly close ever again. He was only showing me my place, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

“No, we just-”

Daehyun grinned when I paused. “Fucked? Yeah, same.”

I ducked my head and smiled a little. We had all been picked up by Demon-Hunters… What a night. 

“Talk to Jimin about it. Warn him to stay close to his human. Are they bonded?”

I shook my head again. “Jimin hasn’t matured yet.”

“That’s unfortunate. He should be fine, especially with an Angel in that house.”

Daehyun and Junhong left before Jimin arrived, but that didn’t hide their smell. I had dressed in some of my clothes by the time my friend arrived. 

“Hanging out with pack, I see? Or... smell.”

I just nodded, not wanting to be the one to talk to him about this. Before I could open my mouth about it, I noticed Hoseok wandering towards us. My lips twisted. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell him just yet. Not only would it be annoying to have to answer all of his questions about it, but I knew it would worry him. What would happen if he decided this town wasn’t safe for his human anymore? Would he beg his charge to relocate, taking with him both Jimin and his imprinted kid? I wouldn’t risk that. Jimin could wait until we were alone. 

“Has Daehyun imprinted yet? He’s supposed to be the pack Alpha soon, right?”

“I don’t think so,” I mumbled, beginning to tune out as I realised Hoseok had something on his mind and was no doubt about to share. 

I stayed quiet and didn’t really listen. I began to feel curious about why Demons were beginning to swarm here. I hadn’t noticed—that wasn’t a lie—but if a group of Demon-Hunters had moved in and begun questioning, it must be serious. 

Thinking about it again brought me right back to Seokjin. No wonder he seemed so interested in me. I grimaced to myself, disgruntled that it wasn’t me he had an interest in, but simply the fact that I was a Demon. I had genuinely thought he was gorgeous, and was stoked that he would take me home. As it were, ‘home’ was probably an entirely fabricated name for where he took me. 

When I was alone again in the afternoon, I didn’t want to do anything but sleep. I rolled around in Jimin’s nest and groaned to myself. Out of pure boredom, I shifted to Lupe and trotted off into the woods to do some hunting and sniffing around; wolfy stuff. Lupe didn’t get bored as easily as either of my more human forms. 

I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt a lot more like staying with my pack when I was faced with the idea being ‘hunted.’ For the first time in a while, I sent out the howl that would get their attention. On the second shrill howl, I was answered. It was Daehyun, so he must be on scout-duty tonight. I followed the sound of his interrupted yelping howls and finally found him. I walked close and sunk down onto my haunches with my chin in the dirt. He sniffed my neck and I rolled over until my feet were in the air. He turned away then, and I got up to follow him. It was a good feeling to be accepted into the pack, even if I had no reason to be rejected. I stayed at the elder wolf’s heels until I spotted Junhong amongst the creamy-white wolf pack. A few very young pups were sleeping in a pile by his side, and he had been watching them until he detected my approach.

After an affectionate greeting, Junhong led me further into the forest where there was little activity from other Wolves. I could hear the trickle of a stream nearby, and the pattering of tiny feet somewhere in the leaf-litter. These woods were such an ideal home for a pack: so close to the perfect life for both our Lupe and Human sides. I hoped we wouldn’t have to leave. 

Junhong shifted into Anthrokos, and laid on his stomach in a clearing of grass. I did the same, though I knew I’d feel the cold as soon as I lacked a fur coat. 

“Why did you decide to visit?” Junhong asked quietly, glancing at me for a moment. I didn’t return his gaze, but I shuffled against him to soak up his warmth.

“There’s nobody to spend the night with back near the house anymore… And I may as well get used to living with this pack if Daehyun’s father forces us to move.”

Junhong nodded slowly, and I noticed his sombre mood. 

“Did something happen today?”

“No, not today… Just last night.”

“When we went home with those hunters?” I asked. Junhong nodded. “What happened?”

“I thought…” He hesitated and I blinked, watching his youthful face, much paler in the moonlight, as he chose his words. “I really thought he was interested in me.”

I swallowed hard, feeling those words right where it mattered. “Me too,” I whispered. 

After a few long moments, Junhong tried to change the mood a little. He asked about Seokjin and tried to find out what exactly we did. He didn’t believe me when I said the Demon-Hunter fucked me three times, but it didn’t matter what he believed, because the memory stuck like glue. I turned the questions on him then, digging for details. I found out that his Hunter’s name was Yongguk, and that Junhong had really liked him. He had gone after him because he looked a little awkward on the dance floor, but Yongguk had ended up being very sweet, and he stole Junhong’s heart in the few hours they spent together. The poor snowy Wolf was in deeper than I, and I could only cuddle him as comfort. 

It didn’t seem to me, from Junhong’s vivid descriptions, like Yongguk had entirely made up his affection. According to the wolf they had kissed a lot, and made love slowly, and Yongguk didn’t even change his tone when he questioned his younger lover about other Demons. I tried to reassure Junhong that maybe Yongguk did like him, and maybe it wasn’t all fake. 

“Don’t give me false hope like that, Tae; please. Even if we did like each other, how would the pack react if I let myself bond with a Demon-Hunter?”

“We’re mature soon, Junnie. We don’t need to worry about what anybody thinks.”

“It’s not soon for me… A whole year...”

I pouted and pulled his head into a hug. “Don’t worry, Jun. It’ll work out.”

~

I spent a few days with the pack, and began to feel at home there. Every Wolf accepted me, and Daehyun even greeted me one morning with a soft headbutt. It was invigorating to stay out in the fresh, open air of the woods, and to spend days at a time on all fours where I never had to bother with human interaction. 

Daehyun approached me in his Anthrokos form one evening—in all his glory—and I knew right away the he expected me to change as well. 

I stood up on my human feet and dusted my palms together, looking attentively into the eyes of my sire. 

“How do you feel about doing some scouting for us, Taehyung?”

The question confused me. Weren’t natives more trusted scouts?

“You’re much more comfortable around humans than many others here.”

Oh. 

“What am I scouting for? Demon-Hunters? Demons?”

“The Hunters. Father wants to find out if they’re still on the lookout for us.”

Was this a request from the Alpha? That felt a little like a compliment. 

“I can do that. Do you want me to look for the same Hunters?”

Daehyun’s brow rose on one side and he glanced away, trying to hide a knowing look. 

“Any is fine,” he said, looking back at me and grinning, “but I won’t blame you if you look for the same one.”

I blushed immediately. My Lupe hadn’t been concerned with such trivial thoughts as those couple of hours with a handsome stranger, and the break had been nice. My attention had been on interesting smells and the enjoyment of play-wrestling with other young Wolves. Considering the way my sire looked at me, he must have been aware of just how interested my human had been. 

“I-I guess I’ll be going, then…” I said, ducking my head to hide my hot cheeks. 

“Be safe,” he said, before shifting back to Lupe and cantering away. 

~

It seemed too easy to look in the same club. Why would the Hunters keep scouting the same place if they’d already scared so many of us off?

It was a long shot, but I had to start somewhere. The crowd didn’t seem as appealing when I had something other than a ‘trick’ to focus on. I stayed away from alcohol and kept my wits about me. Reaching out with my sixth sense in a place like this showed me just how many people were flooding the air with pheromones, probably without even noticing.

My nose noticed him before my other prodding senses, and my eyes widened dramatically. I spun on my heel and met his eyes. It seemed like he’d just noticed me as well. His head tilted and those pretty lips glistened.

“Kim Taehyung…”

~~~~~~~~~


	11. Not Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

I sat with my feet up on the coffee table while an action movie blasted though the living room. It was after ten pm, and Jungkook had finished his chores and study, and then asked if he could watch a movie with me, and Hoseok, of course. He kept giving me these looks, and I knew he could tell how attracted I was to the guest in our house. After half a week, I was getting used to the cheeky, gleeful glances he sent my way after Hoseok got particularly close and redness that spread across my cheeks, but I wasn’t getting used to Hoseok. Not one bit.

It wouldn’t have been quite so bad were it not blindingly obvious that he deliberately got close to me. He stood, sat, walked and generally lingered so close to me that I felt like I’d begun breathing his fresh, musky scent instead of oxygen. It should have annoyed me, but it didn’t. It bothered me, sure, but not in that way. Instead, I began missing it when we had to be apart, and I knew I was becoming accustomed to his automatic closeness. He wasn’t even slightly averted to the lack of distance he left between us; in fact he seemed to get great pleasure out of it. Personal space must not be an Angel thing.

Whilst I tried to concentrate on the movie’s unbelievable action and endless stream of unintelligible English, Hoseok continued to make my life incredibly difficult. On the couch in which we sat, he leant back with his body pressed right up beside mine. Even his feet were on the coffee table, copying me to a tee. I could tell he’d spent some time copying and repeating things I did, because sometimes I’d glance over and he’d be in the exact same pose as I was. Sometimes I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my face; he tried really hard to act normal.

This was not one of those smile-eliciting times, however, and I wished I could have wriggled away from him, if only just a little. There was one upside to the closeness, however; his warmth seeped into my side, completely enveloping me in its welcoming embrace. If that was the only ‘heat’ he made me feel, I wouldn’t have had such a desire to get out of there. Of course, I was trapped against the arm of the couch, and leaning away would have caught his attention and probably looked rude. He seemed not to have figured out why I sometimes felt uncomfortable around him, and I didn’t plan to explain it any time soon.

My head tipped back to rest against the cushy leather, and I suppressed a groan at the impending sex-scene. I hadn’t been able to pay much attention to the plot—due to the distracting spirit beside me—and neither could I figure out why some guy was standing in a field and stripping. It probably had something to do with the girl holding his car keys, but I couldn’t be sure. The actor’s rippling muscles made me roll my eyes and tip my head back further until I was looking at the ceiling.

When I was sure the scene was over, I dared look back towards screen. I felt Hoseok’s gaze on me and turned, somehow still shocked by his closeness. I flinched away and suddenly rose up, mumbling some bullshit excuse as to why I should be getting to bed. Cold rushed in and followed me, revealing precisely how warm Hoseok had been keeping me. For about a thousandth of a second, I wished I hadn’t gotten up at all.

The dark, quiet peace in my room caused the exact opposite effect to what I had expected. I escaped the suffocating handsomeness of my Angel in search of fresh air and personal space, but as soon as the door was closed, I wrapped my arms around myself and wrinkled my nose at the faint, familiar aroma of my bedroom. What had he done to me?

Technically, it was logical for me to tell myself that my sudden attraction to him had something to do with his immortality. I was determined to blame it on the ‘spirit bond’ he claimed to have formed with me, and let nothing change my mind. Not the way his affectionate gazes lit my face on fire; not the way I caught myself staring at the gentle curve of his nape, the roundness of his cheeks, or the length of his fingers; certainly not the way his voice could effortlessly send violent shudders throughout my entire body.

I slumped down on my bed, rubbing warmth into my arms. I had to go back out at some point, to brush my teeth and shower, but even the image of him in my head was too confronting. After a moment I fell onto my bed, and the cold made me climb under my blanket. I had fully intended to wash up before sleep, but my disgruntled mind had other ideas.

~

Weeks passed that way. Hoseok stirred a demon inside of me (not literally) that I flatly refused to admit to. Not only did I admire his attractiveness, but it burned, and that made me terribly uncomfortable. When it got to the point that I considered actually succumbing to my body’s petty desire, I realised that I had dragged myself into this unfixable mess, and began attempting to find a way to fix it. For a while, I was able to shove him onto Jungkook—the two got along well, and I trusted Hoseok to keep him out of trouble. I hadn’t intended on Jungkook being the one causing the trouble until they came home after what I could have sworn was an innocent trip to the mall. I almost didn’t bother to glance up from the television when I heard their greetings, but eventually I did, and I laid eyes on the most unsettlingly attractive thing since Hoseok himself.

Apparently, Jungkook had spent a whole week’s pay check on a new wardrobe for the innocent Angel. I almost screamed, but managed to hold it in. Hoseok’s eyes met mine and turned to saucers, clearly reacting to my sudden build-up of shock, confusion, and outright anger, but I didn’t even attempt to rein in my emotion for his benefit. I just stared, my mouth going dry from the tight, black, coated-denim jeans that hugged every inch of his legs, and my heart skipping at the fitted, white, branded, v-neck long-sleeve that revealed every bump and curve his body had to offer.

I wanted to complain, scold, something, but I couldn’t even manage to pick my jaw up off the floor.

“Yoongi-yah…” Hoseok began, bringing attention to the glorious forehead which I’d never seen revealed, as his hair was now styled upwards in the most flattering way. I was sure I would never recover from the sight.

“Jeon Jungkook,” I growled. I braved stepping closer to Hoseok, only to snatch my brother’s wrist and drag him into his room. He whimpered and rubbed his wrist as I threw it down at his side. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“He wears the same thing every day, and he doesn’t even have a real bed to sleep in… I was trying to be a good host…” I had set Hoseok up in the spare bedroom-slash-study which Jungkook and I often forgot even existed. I supplied him with a surprisingly comfortable bedroll on which he would lie entirely for Jungkook’s benefit, though obviously, he never really slept. There was no reason for Jungkook to mention his sleeping arrangements—I would have slept on that, especially to avoid the forest, no questions asked.

“I know exactly what you were trying to do,” I snapped.

Jungkook’s whole demeanour changed for a split second, and I knew the ‘innocent child’ act was bullshit. “Does he realise you’re hot for him? Because it’s not exactly—ow!” he winced as I smacked the side of his head.

“Can you not get involved in these things, for once? What I think of Hoseok is nothing to do with you, and if you ever even think of talking to him about any of this, or even about me, I will personally sheer your balls off with kitchen knife. Are we clear?”

Jungkook just stared at me, his brows invisible behind his fringe, and his huge puppy-eyes showing marginally more amusement than anything, but thankfully he nodded and agreed. I wasn’t sure I could trust him, however, because he knew damn well that: not only would I never live up to my threats, but I’d never punish him at all.

~

I lay on my bed with my face in my pillow. I’d been completely content with the illusion that Hoseok wasn’t even human under all of that clothing—that he was just appearing that way for our benefit, and those baggy pants, shirt, and vest had been disguising some spirit form. But no, his shape was well defined, and very human, and it made heat shoot from my groin to every inch of my skin. Hoseok was ruining every effort I’d made to control myself like a confident adult, and I felt like a wildly uncontrollable teenager all over again.

“Yoongi,” came a muffled voice from behind my door. My fists clenched. I heard some part of his body against the wood—maybe his hand. “Can I come in?”

Usually, were I not on fire and regretting my existence, I would have considered it. Hoseok hadn’t been in my room before; it was a little sacred to me, and I hated it when even Jungkook came in.

Reluctantly—not that I would have even considered it—I grumbled: “no,” and immediately afterwards my heart throbbed, and I regretted it. Hoseok hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t know why I was locked up in here, and he probably had no idea why I was boiling with pent up emotion—what’s more, an emotion that he often mentioned he couldn’t decipher. He’d asked me if it was embarrassment, since he’d seen me blushing, and I told him it was, only to later tell him it was similar, but not the same. The two tended to go hand in hand, anyway. He seemed frustrated that I wouldn’t say any more than that, and rightly so. His whole situation seemed highly exasperating, but I had no desire to alleviate it. That would involve explaining that he made me want to touch my dick for the first time in years, and I wasn’t even comfortable thinking that.

He didn’t bother me for the rest of the night, which was good, because that’s how long it took me to calm down.

~

With a wardrobe that effortlessly knocked me flat every single time I glanced at him, I got in the habit of avoiding looking right at my Angel. I could tell it confused him, but he didn’t bother me about it. It took another few weeks to settle into any sort of comfort, and by then Hoseok and I had done enough ‘training’ for me to see changes in my body. It distracted me from him, however briefly, when I noticed a gutter forming down the middle of my body, and solid, smooth abs toning my belly. My arms looked alarmingly defined, as did my chest and legs. I chuckled a little at how I was admiring myself in the bathroom mirror.

I didn’t usually go anywhere without dressing fully, but that evening, I wandered from the bathroom with just dark grey sweats hanging loosely on my hips, and a blood-red towel slung across my shoulders. As expected, Jungkook did a double-take. I tried not to smirk as I noticed.

“Whoa, Hyung… I can totally tell you’ve been working out, now.” It was no secret that Hoseok and I ‘worked out’ together; I’d made sure to be fuzzy on the details, just in case Jungkook asked too much. I paused in my steps and pretended to be surprised by his words. I was glad it wasn’t all in my head.

“Really?” I said, begging my smile not to turn into a victorious smirk. A little flattery could never hurt, and it was times like these when a distraction was highly appreciated.

My eyes snapped to Hoseok when he spoke next. As though he had no idea of the potential effect it would have on me, he summoned a small smile and confidently stated: “you look sexy.”

Jungkook laughed so hard that he rolled off the couch, and my cheeks burned redder than my towel. I marched into my room, wondering for a moment where someone as innocent and awkward as Hoseok even learnt that word.

~

Hoseok took me back up to the cliff edge exactly two months after the first time. It felt like a lifetime ago that I’d experienced flying, not that I had really ‘experienced’ much at all last time. I jogged effortlessly beside him; it felt like a much shorter road this time. At the top, Hoseok jerked me out of my thoughts and ordered me to follow his lead. He dropped down and began doing push-ups, and I groaned but obliged. Maybe twenty of them, and then he ran to the edge of the cliff and back to me. I watched, my jaw dropping.

Since I never had argued before, I didn’t want to start now. I got up and ran, but I was several metres back from the ledge when I stopped and spun, running back to where he was on the ground, doing more push ups. The next time he leapt up, I did so as well, and we ran side by side. I stopped before he did, seeing the ledge and turning. Hoseok ran right to the cliff face and then turned, passing me as he sprinted back to the push-up spot.

I sighed heavily and continued the slow torture for several minutes. When we had both worked up a sweat, Hoseok jumped up and told me to take a break. He walked in circles, breathing heavily, and I cursed my brother for introducing him to wife-beaters. I panted for a minute or so, and our breathing steadily came back to normal.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, cutting though the peaceful sounds of nature. I glanced up at him, his caramel skin glistening in the most wonderful way and his white tank-top glued to him where he’d sweated, and then promptly tore my eyes away.

“Fine,” I lied. Sure, I felt fine with the work-out, but I hadn’t felt ‘fine’ since the moment he’d revealed his spirit world to me, because no matter what, now there was always something for me to worry about. Not only that, but he made me more uncomfortable than I ever remembered being in my life. With all of that tiring me out, our ‘training’ was a minor hurdle.

Despite the stress and worry, I was feeling more confident with myself. He showed me that I was capable of reaching greater heights, and I felt like I could actually defend myself were I to get into a confrontation. I wasn’t exactly muscular or intimidating, but I wasn’t afraid of every male stranger who looked at me strangely, and I didn’t feel like a little exercise was going to kill me. He’d even managed to convince me to pat the horse by Jungkook’s work, and I realised that he really was a quiet, peaceful animal.

After a while, patting a horse became the least of my confronting encounters. He introduced me to a young, orange-haired Werewolf who appeared to be friendly enough; Taehyung was his name. Apparently he’d come into the spirit world in a different way to Jimin, and Hoseok had explained that. Taehyung was similar to Jimin in that they were easily excited and became boisterous at the drop of a pin. It made me shrink back in horror the first time I saw them shift from humans to Wolves, their clothing tangling on their limbs until they kicked it away and leapt on each other in a violent play-wrestle.

Meeting new demons was certainly not as alarming as Hoseok’s question.

“Do you mind if we talk?”

Hoseok’s voice had broken me out of my musings, and I glanced up at him. At least his fringe wasn’t up today, and the shorts he wore didn’t hug his long, sculpted thighs or round, gorgeous butt. It was only his deadly arms, strong shoulders and slim waist I had to worry about, not to mention his face, which glowed with affection whenever he looked at me.

“Of course not,” I lied, again.

“Can you tell me why you’ve been angry at me, recently?”

Angry. He thought I was angry. My fists clenched and I turned my face right away from him. Just as my chest seized with overwhelming guilt, a shuddering gasp whooshed from his lips.

“S-sorry,” I stuttered, and I dared look back at him. His lips were parted and confusion, frustration and anxiety pinched his brow harshly.

“Please tell me what’s going on. What is that?”

I knew exactly why he was so distressed, and I hated it. It wasn’t fair that he should have to suffer through my uncontrollable emotions. I realised that he must have felt the last couple of months of stress as well, in those moments when it hit me hardest. I should really explain, but how?

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m not angry at you. I’ve never been angry at you.” My voice stayed strong, betraying the very unstable emotions inside me.

“You’re not?” That only made him more confused. “Then… why do you act… different? I see Jungkook more than I see you, and even when I see you, you won’t look at me. I’m not good enough at understanding you yet to determine what I’ve done… What have I done?”

“Nothing… you haven’t done anything. It’s just this whole ‘spirit, Angel, Demon’ thing: it’s terrifying, and it makes me worry all the time… I’m just not myself at the moment…”

“I’m sorry, Yoongi-yah.” I met his eyes then. I didn’t notice until then that he hadn’t been pushing himself all over me recently, in fact it had been weeks since I’d felt too close to him. When we shared the couch, he sat right at the other side. When we walked together, he stood far enough that Jungkook could have walked between us. When we spoke, he stood at arms-reach at the closest. I didn’t even realise the loss; I was too busy drowning in stress, and up to my neck with insatiable desire for him.

That had been a huge change for Hoseok. He’d been getting unnecessarily close to me since before I knew he was an Angel, which was at least two whole months ago. I bit my lip and wondered if I should attempt to tell him it wasn’t his fault.

“I wish I didn’t have to introduce you to this world, but you were marked since birth and already vulnerable to Demons… I wouldn’t have wished this upon you, ever.” I just swallowed, hesitantly holding his sincere gaze. “I can tell you don’t like me living with you, despite what you say. I’ll leave if you’d just tell me to.”

“Hoseok,” I began, devastated that I’d given him that vibe. “I’d never ask you to leave…”

“I can live comfortably out here,” he assured me with a wry smile. “You don’t have to feel bad.”

“No, you’re staying in the house. God dammit, Hoseok…” Why can’t I tell you what it is that makes it so difficult to get close to you?

He stared at me, his lips pursed. I’d seen frustration on his face too often recently, and I knew I was the bad guy in this situation. It really hit me hard to hear what he’d been assuming. I needed a way to make it up to him, if only a little.

The way he stood—his posture—was enough proof of the physical difficulty he had being so far away. Back when I wasn’t deliberately avoiding him, he’d relaxed completely when he was right beside me, especially if he was touching me. Sometimes I could have sworn he would fall asleep, because his expression was never as relaxed as when his skin touched mine. If nothing else, I could give that comfort back to him.

Chewing my lip nervously, I strode towards him. Gently, like it might somehow go wrong, I looped my arms around his waist. My head turned to the side and rested against his shoulder. It wasn’t so bad, except that his natural reaction was to lift his strong, tanned arms and wrap them tightly around me and pull me against him until I could barely breathe. He tipped his head down, and his lips and nose brushed my neck. My fingers clenched in his tank as a reaction to the thudding of my heart against my ribcage. His scent surrounded me, reminding me how much I craved it. He should not have this sort of effect on me. Once again, I blamed the ‘bond,’ and gritted my teeth to bare it as long as he needed.

As it turns out, Hoseok can hug for a really long time.

~

I felt so light-headed and confused on the walk back to the house that I walked lazily on the uneven ground which required deeper concentration than I was currently capable of. I tripped on a tree root and landed with a thud on my knees, sliding a little on the slope. Hoseok hadn’t been close enough to save me this time, and I cried out at the unmistakable feeling of rocks, dirt and sticks cutting into my skin and making a mess of my bare legs. Hoseok leapt towards me, freaking out as though my leg had snapped in two. I attempted to reassure him, my eyes clenched from the stinging, and batted at his searching hands.

I froze and my eyes snapped open the moment his palm pressed to my stomach. Tendrils of heat whipped outwards from my core, lashing down my legs and intensifying the sting until tears dribbled symmetrically down my cheeks. That lasted only a few seconds, and was rapidly replaced by throbbing, bone-deep pleasure. Every muscle went to sleep as though I was being massaged expertly in every place. My arms buckled, but he held me up. My eyes slid shut and I swore blindly in confusion. Of course I knew what was happening, but that didn’t make it any less unbelievable.

It felt like it had been so long that I swore my legs must have been healed, but he kept pumping that delicious heat into my body. I felt myself becoming tense again, and I reached to pull his hand away. I fumbled uselessly, overwhelmed by the delightful sensation.

“Shit,” I breathed, and suddenly I had to get him to stop, because I was getting hard. “Hoseok, stop, right now.”

Thankfully, he did. He let his hand slacken and slide down my shirt to rest on my hip. The moment I could control my muscles again I shoved him away. He was strong and quick, and caught himself gracefully before standing up to follow my grumpy storming down the path.

I got back to the house and marched straight for the shower, needing to cool off in a few different ways. I clawed everything my hands touched, because I was so tense and so frustrated with myself and Hoseok and everything that came to mind. I showered quickly, even if I would have preferred to relax into the warm water and take my time. I needed to go to college for my afternoon class and, more than anything, I needed to get away from Hoseok.

After throwing on the first clothes I could be bothered finding, I ran my fingers through my hair and then tugged a pair of socks on. Grumbling while shoving pens and books into my bag helped me vent a little, and I wasn’t fuming quite so much by the time I left my room. I slung my bag over one shoulder and made for the front door, my eyes avoiding the Angel as though I’d go blind if I saw him.

“Have a good day.”

My hand paused mid-air, not even making it to the doorhandle. He’d sat silently in the living room since we’d gotten home, and his low farewell caused a jolt in my heart that froze me all over. To add to the frustration, guilt gnawed at me. Again.

My hand dropped and I sighed. For a few moments I thought my reasonable, mature side had won out, and I fully intended to turn around and apologise. Fear of what might follow suddenly bubbled up, and my hand flew to the handle. I was much too chicken shit for this. I hooked my bag over my other shoulder as I jiggled my key in the door to lock it shut, and then I turned and left, my chest seizing horribly. It’s fine, though: once I get far enough away, he won’t be able to feel it. That’s what I told myself.

~


	12. Cambions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

Yoongi was now officially the most confusing thing this entire world of humans had to offer. I sat with my hands clutched together, my brows furrowed, staring at absolutely nothing. I had never been as frustrated as this. His emotions always confused me, and I would often observe the situation and his actions to determine what he was feeling. That way, I could assign meaning to the raw emotions I felt through our bond. I got used to many of them: fright, confusion, anger, frustration, disappointment; and then nicer things: joy, surprise, relief, amusement, satisfaction… but there were still things he felt that I couldn’t pin, and he flatly refused to assist me.

The afternoon would have been uneventful were it not for a sudden, shocking throb through our bond. There is no way I should be able to feel Yoongi’s emotions from here unless he was under serious stress. I was grounded for a moment, surprising Jimin, and it took me a while to blink myself back to reality.

The heat that flowed through him to me was uncontrollable and fast-moving, combining with an emotion more sharp and alarming, which frightened the life out of me. I knew right away that it wasn’t right for those emotions to cut through him—somebody was influencing him. Not only was it obvious that the cambion was working his devilish seduction-magic on Yoongi, but my human was terrified. I wondered if the Demon knew he wasn't talented enough with his powers to persuade someone so unwilling. The demi-Demon’s partial-mortality was a limitation, and he would have to work on that if they wanted to feed from anyone as innocent as Yoongi. 

I followed my heart, knowing I could feel Yoongi’s emotions more potently if he was nearby. Using my wings would have been very helpful, but I had to rely on my legs, and the innate sense of direction of my inbuilt compass that set my charge as North. His fear lead me right to him; to the male bathroom behind the Science Department building. I burst into the mostly-deserted room and gasped as I laid eyes on them. 

“Yah, Byungjoo!” I shouted, possibly the highest I’d ever raised my voice. The cambion barely turned away from my charge as the human pressed himself to the beige-tiled wall.

“I promise I won’t hurt him, Angel-Boy,” the demi-Demon cooed. 

“Stop that right now, Jin Byungjoo.”

I couldn’t clearly see Yoongi, but I could tell he was distressed, even without the emotions rolling inside me. 

“Ugh, you owe me one,” the cambion grumbled. He begrudgingly turned away from the trembling boy and walked past me, half-smirking at me on the way out. I ignored him and went to Yoongi. 

“Hoseok,” he breathed, seeming relieved for a moment. I could feel that only the immediate fear had subsided; Yoongi continued to send me wave after wave of fiery desire even after the cambion was long gone. 

“Yah,” I said softly, approaching him and reaching out, “he’s gone now, I promise.” Suddenly he shied from me, sliding against the wall towards a cubicle. 

“D-don’t touch me,” he breathed and turned to lock himself inside one of the toilet stalls. My heart thumped painfully. 

“Yoongi…”

“I’m fine, just go,” he said quietly from behind the door and I heard him slump against the wall. 

“You know I can’t leave you like this,” I almost whispered, confused and utterly dejected. 

“When I’m like this is precisely when you need to leave me, Hoseok. Please.”

Despite not understanding, I went outside and sat myself against the wall. I couldn’t figure out why his fear now was different to any other fear––he had always cowered towards me and leant on me for comfort, especially when Demons were involved. The only difference I could discern was the type of Demon. 

A good five minute passed before I couldn’t feel the traces of cambion influence though our bond anymore, and another few passed before he finally came out of the bathroom. I stood so quickly that I startled him. 

“H-Hoseok...” His voice was a soft gasp, emphasising his surprise. 

“Are you all right?” I asked quietly, wary of the flighty way in which he was acting. 

“What… what was that? You called it B-Byung…” His voice caught when a group of students passed us. 

“Should we talk about this at home?” I suggested. Yoongi nodded and headed toward home, walking so hurriedly that I had to jog to catch up. I followed behind him for the entire journey; aching to somehow take away the lingering discomfort I could still feel surrounding us. 

I closed the front door behind him as he rushed straight to his room. Jimin was lazing on the couch, not even in Wolf form. The furniture creaked as he sat up and watched Yoongi pass, and his head then whipped around to look at me. 

He cringed slightly when I met his eyes. “Trouble in paradise?”

Ignoring whatever that meant, I told him what had happened. 

“But he didn’t succeed in feeding, right?” Jimin clarified. “I mean, he didn’t…”

I shook my head. “But he got Yoongi to submit completely with his influence. Problem is, Byungjoo isn’t strong enough to persuade his feelings about it at all like an Incubus would be––Yoongi was totally there for the entire thing, and…”

“So Byungjoo can’t even seduce a virgin?”

“He’s only a cambion, remember. So, Yoongi’s traumatised and he won’t let me anywhere near him.”

“What? But he usually curls up against you like a kitten when he’s scared...”

“I know... but something’s different this time.”

“Did you ever consider maybe he needed to be alone because Byungjoo––I mean Byungjoo’s influence––made him hard?”

“…?” I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

“You know, he was seduced, so…” I thought about that for a moment and Jimin continued. “If he’s trying to calm down after being turned-on, it could only make it worse to have you wrapped around him.”

“I don’t get it…”

“That feeling when he was influenced, has he felt it before? Describe it,” he said, and settled into a lounging position on the single sofa across from me. He’d become accustomed to lounging around in the house in Anthrokos form when Jungkook was not home. The kid couldn’t exactly sneak back without us noticing, since his ‘Wolf’ could smell him from a good five miles away.

My lips twisted while I thought, and I leant back on the couch, my eyes to the ceiling. I thought back to every time he’d confused me with those slow, hot waves he seemed so reluctant to talk about.

“You know how embarrassment tends to feel warm? It’s like that. He acts embarrassed, but there’s more to it. It has a distinct slow-moving fluidity, like it’s flowing through his veins and not just rushing to heat his cheeks. He felt it a lot when I used to get close to him… but recently it’s at random times and… when I heal him…”

I sighed heavily and looked back at the Wolf, expecting him to be lost in consideration, but he was simply grinning madly at me, his brows uneven, trying to stifle laughter behind the back of his hand.

I frowned. “What?”

“I thought you learnt human biology? Culture? Lifestyle?”

With a huff to express how much I disliked being patronised, I glared until he explained.

“So, you really can’t recognise when he’s aroused?” I blinked a few times, picking through my extensive vocabulary until that word settled itself with the notion he was suggesting. “You didn’t think to assume that the desire Byungjoo inspired in him is the exact same thing you’re trying to describe?”

“Sexually aroused?” I suddenly asked, clarifying with heavy emphasis, as if I didn’t even believe it as it passed my lips. Jimin nodded enthusiastically, his eyes wide as though it was obvious. “No, it hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I admitted. My hand come up to cover my mouth and rubbed at my cheek in thought. I felt my brow pinch until Jimin dragged me out of it.

“It’s not difficult to smell his pheromones when he’s around you, either. Not all the time, but when you’re—unintentionally, of course—teasing him. Had he felt that heat before today? Before Byungjoo?” I nodded. “Then doesn’t that make sense? All that time he felt it before, think about it as though it’s the same as when a cambion influences him. He gets aroused. When you’re close, when you heal him, he gets aroused.”

I blinked stupidly for longer than I thought. “By me?”

Jimin nodded, grinning. “You must have felt whatever he was feeling though, right?”

“Yeah, I did and… uh…”

“You mean, even though Incubus influence obviously won’t work on you, if they use it on Yoongi, it affects you, too?”

I opened and shut my mouth a few times. “Don’t you ever tell anyone that,” I suddenly hissed. 

“I won’t,” he chuckled. “But that’s a pretty big loophole.”

“I’ll never let him near Yoongi ever again. I swear, if he even looks at him, I’ll show him just what hell is like.”

“Now I’m not sure if you’re defending Yoongi or yourself.”

I ignored Jimin’s comment and sat back to ponder all of this newfound knowledge.

Aroused.

Wow.

~

I spoke with Jimin for a little while, taking his advice about leaving Yoongi alone for a while, despite how much it ached to do so. My human finally came out of his room a quarter of an hour after we arrived home, but headed straight for the bathroom. He showered and redressed in sleeping clothes and then came back into the living room. His hair was a mess from where he’d towel-dried it. His eyes locked with mine and my heart fluttered, or maybe that was his. The more time I spent around humans, the more I began to understand their feelings, almost as though mine were becoming like theirs. Because of that, Yoongi’s feelings and mine were becoming increasingly indecipherable from each other. I wasn’t sure if that was how it was supposed to be. 

I asked him again, even if it was about the third time in an hour: “Are you okay?”

Yoongi nodded just before he spoke. “But I’d like to talk about it now…”

“Of course,” I said and stood to follow him back to his room. He sat on his bed and I stood awkwardly at his door, tensing when I glanced around. I’d never been in here before. He turned and beckoned me inside with his head. I closed the door and cautiously placed myself across from him on the bed, leaving too much space between us. The distance was scarring, which was odd, because I had felt deprived of him enough by now to wonder why it was still so alarming. I should be used to distance.

“He was a Demon, wasn’t he?” Yoongi asked and I hesitated. 

“Byungjoo is a cambion—a part-human child.”

“Part human, part…” 

For once, I understood that he wanted me to continue. “Part Incubus.”

His Adams Apple bobbed with nervousness. I assumed he’d heard of Incubi. “So Demons can actually breed with humans?”

“In some cases… As for cambion children, it’s not exactly a linear sort of ‘breeding.’ Neither a Succubus nor an Incubus contribute their genes.” Yoongi’s look of complete puzzlement made me go on. “It’s the process itself that causes a human child to posses Demon… abilities.”

“I’m very lost right now… So that… Byungjoo… Is part Demon, but… all human?”

“To put it simply, the process is like this: a Succubus will lie with a human male and collect his sperm, right?”

Yoongi’s face went impossibly whiter and I felt his embarrassment tingling inside me. 

“The female Demon will then lie with an Incubus—and this is the, I suppose magical part—the human seed is transferred to the Incubus, so he can then impregnate a human female with a completely human baby.”

The look on Yoongi’s face was indescribable. I had no idea if he was horrified, amused, disgusted, or still confused. 

“That process of the Demons exchanging the human seed is when it is endowed with powers well beyond that of a human. The child would possess the influential powers of its Demon surrogate.”

Yoongi closed his eyes and shook his head. “So Byungjoo is human, but with... Those powers?”

“Basically. He has no access to the spirit world, as he is mortal, but he has a Demon’s soul.”

“A-and those powers...”

“What you felt when he influenced you was his way of capturing humans he wishes to feed on.”

“F-feed on?!”

“Just as Incubi or Succubi would,” I explained, hoping to calm him a little. “Though their whole lives are dependent on feeding. Cambions are driven to feed from humans, but strictly don’t need to.”

“But feed? Why do they seduce if they want to feed?!”

“They feed through lying with humans. Their sustenance, I suppose, is sex.”

Instead of turning white, my human’s cheeks began to flush a pretty pink. I figured he hadn’t known all that much about Incubi until that point.

“H-he was going to-” he began, but his hand shot up to cover his mouth. “A-and he wasn’t going to eat me afterwards or anything?”

I felt my brows pinch and I shook my head. “Being mortal, he probably eats rather similarly to how you do.”

“The way you charged in and rescued me… I thought I was in serious danger…”

My lips twitched a little and I surprised myself with a bitter tone. “Should I leave you to it next time?” 

His reaction proved that he did in fact appreciate my rescuing. “No! Hoseok, I’m sorry, thank you, I didn’t want… I wouldn’t want that… I just didn’t think it was in your job description to prevent those sorts of things… Especially if he wasn’t going to hurt me.”

“Protecting you from Demons is my assignment; your life and your well being. And being fed-from by a Demon is certainly harmful, Yoongi. Don’t ever think a Demon would do anything to you that didn’t benefit them.”

“So Byungjoo s-sleeping with me would…?”

“It would affect you negatively, though it wouldn’t be obvious the first time. If he fed from you too often, you would most certainly die.”

The way he gulped assured me I’d gotten my point across. 

“W-… well, thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“Of course I do… You put me before everything and I don’t do anything for you…”

“That’s what I’m here for,” I said with a smile. “I’m only repaying heaven’s debt to your father––you owe me nothing.”

“What can I do, then, for you? To make your life easier?”

My smile dropped away and he immediately picked up on my hesitance to say what had come to my mind.

“Hoseok…”

“If you wanted to make things easier for me…” I felt hope build up inside me, and I could only pray that he wouldn’t find my request strange, or simply refuse it. “Please don’t push me away.” My heart throbbed, but I realised a second later that the feeling was all Yoongi’s. I continued, feeling him right there. “It aches when I can see you afraid or upset and I can’t do anything. I feel useless when you don’t allow me to help you through stress I should have prevented.”

“How could you have known the Demon was going to corner me when you weren’t even near me?” 

I could tell he was trying to reassure me but I just shook my head. “I shouldn’t leave you alone… I should know that by now.”

“You can’t never leave me alone…”

“Why not?”

He seemed stumped. “W-… well what if… i-if you… Or if I…” 

I waited, but he didn’t string anything logical together before he gave up. 

“You really can, can’t you?” 

I nodded. “I hate it when I’m not near you, and I don’t hate many things at all.”

He was quietly fiddling with his fingers then, avoiding my eyes. I honestly needed to remember to keep track of the things I said that made him uncomfortable. “Yoongi... can I-” I began, but I stopped as I reached a hand towards him. My heart soared when he moved towards me and took my hand. I couldn’t help it—I pulled him close and held him there, my arms wrapped protectively around his slim frame. Finally, the gaping hole inside me was filled. 

Yoongi was stiffer than usual and it took him a few moments to relax and wind his arms around my shoulders. I hoped he wasn’t finding it awkward or uncomfortable, because I had craved this reassurance for too long to let it end. 

He shifted a little until he was crouching more comfortably, but made no attempt to pull away.

His chin slowly rested on my shoulder and I turned my face towards the strong, comforting pulse in his neck. It meant so much to me that he was okay, and that he trusted me enough to let me hold him.

Maybe humans didn’t have this craving, but as his guardian, I couldn’t feel completely relaxed until I was holding him in my arms. Maybe I should explain that to him. 

“You feel so human,” he whispered, and I smiled into his hair. “It’s very misleading.”

“What’s misleading?” I whispered back, delighted that my breath against his neck made him shudder. 

“If you’re a spirit from a different world, why do you look and feel so much like a human?” 

His question was quite rhetorical. He said it as though he didn’t mind whether or not I answered, and tipped his head down to bury his face in my shoulder. 

“What do you think I should look and feel like?” I mumbled, so dreamily content that I could have fallen into the very human behaviour of sleeping.

“Something I can’t… I-… something… different.” He struggled so much getting that out that I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been carefully choosing his words. 

“If I were too different, you might be afraid of me.”

Yoongi lifted his head and pulled back, just enough to see my face, but he didn’t look in my eyes for long––he never did. 

“I don’t think anyone could be afraid of someone as gentle as you.”

The thudding of my heart was really mine that time. 

~


	13. Show Me Your Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

After the invasive feeling of having a part-demon pin me to a bathroom wall and magically force testosterone to pump through my arteries, I was relieved to be in Hoseok’s arms. My body had calmed down now, and I wasn’t sure I was capable of arousal without feeling afraid. It hadn’t been life-changeingly terrifying like my encounter with the Vampire, but it hadn’t been pleasant, either. I rested against the Angel’s comforting embrace, finally capable of relaxing after the tension of such a day.

My arms looped lazily around his neck, sliding forward until they hung heavily over his shoulders, like I was draped there and prepared to never move. It brought a thought to my mind—the memory of feeling his wings against my hand all that time ago. No matter how brief, I had felt the feathers against my skin, and seen their glossy white right in front of my eyes. Even though he’d had his wings out earlier today, I suddenly craved to see them up close. I wondered, for a moment, if that would seem strange.

After pulling back and blinking life back into my lidded eyes, I met his gaze and kindly requested: “Show me your wings.” He quirked his brow at me for a second, before he crossed his arms in front of him and took off his tank.

I needed a moment to appreciate his body before he drew his wings, but I barely got a second. I flinched, since I was so distracted by his newly-bared skin, when a pair of giant, white wings snapped up behind him. They arched comfortably behind his shoulders, so much bigger than I recalled. So fluffy and bright; all I wanted was to touch them. I blinked a few times, my lips absently parted; his body was entirely forgotten.

I leant forward, and my hand stretched out over his shoulder like I had no control over it. He watched me closely, which forced me to make an attempt to get a grip on myself. I met his eyes and realised we were barely an inch apart. 

“I-is it okay…” I began, though he seemed to understand. My hand hovered just past his shoulder, and I waited. 

He hesitated before nodding just once, and even when he did, he didn’t seem sure about it.   
Given permission, I was unstoppable, albeit hesitant. My fingers just brushed his feathers, but from that I could already feel the soft, downy texture, and it made me smile in amazement. Not only were they as white, but also as fluffy as clouds. I let out a disbelieving breath as I ran my hand along the bony topside of his right wing, thrilled by the feel of my fingers disappearing into softness. 

“They’re…” I began, but my world didn’t have words for their beauty. I just shook my head and watched my hand as it stroked further up. I ran my fingers ever so gently between his larger feathers, enthralled: stunned into silence. 

Eventually I found myself sitting back where I had been, and his wings rested out in front of him, draped around his shoulders and on either side of me. They would have almost hidden him from anybody who entered my bedroom. I sat quietly, admiring the gorgeous, dove-like wings that deserved hours of affectionate stroking; I was willing to indulge them.

It wasn’t the first time we had sat in silence, but this time it felt even more comfortable; as though we didn’t need to speak in order to understand each other. He watched patiently while I petted away at his wings, acquainting myself with them well. He held gently on to one of my hands, which I didn’t even consider complaining about, especially since I was technically stroking one of his limbs. 

A question bounced about on the tip of my tongue and I figured I’d ask it since I’d never find out for myself. 

“Hoseok-ah… what does this feel like?” I asked, deliberately adding a little pressure while I stroked my fingers through his downy feathers. He watched my hand for a moment then met my eyes. He had a dreamy look––one I didn’t see on him much. 

“It’s the first time anybody has touched my wings, so that’s difficult to explain.”

My jaw dropped––no wonder he had to think before he allowed it. My hand froze and slowly pulled away, like I just realised how personal it was for me to touch him there.

“I guess,” he continued, and moved a little closer to me. “It’s a little like this.” And he lifted his hand to my face. His fingers gently stroked backward through my hair, lightly brushing my scalp in the most addictive, wonderful way. My lips suddenly trembled. I closed my eyes and leant unintentionally into his touch. 

He must have been able to feel how much I adored his touch, because he didn’t show any intention to stop. I wasn’t proud of the way he managed to unravel me until I was nuzzling unabashedly into his hand. Hoseok just had a way of touching that couldn’t have been explained by words that weren’t synonyms for ‘supernatural.’

I was so calm and content in that moment that I found myself on my side with my head propped up on the pillow of his thigh. I thought I had drifted into sleep with his fingers in my hair, since the world became a blurry mish-mash of pleasure and bliss, but apparently not.

“Can I ask a favour, Yoongi-yah?”

I mewled slightly, and my eyes lazily slid open. I hadn’t meant for the sound to slip out, but Hoseok seemed to take it as an acceptable agreement to his request.

“In the future, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, or especially frightened, can you tell me? I can’t stand it when you’re out of my sight and feeling distressed. It frightens me. When you wouldn’t let me near you today, it took everything I had to leave you, as you requested.”

No way was I going to tell him that I had to push him away or I would have dry-humped him until I came in my pants. I thought I would have to come up with another reason why it was _that_ moment in particular that I couldn’t let him near me, but apparently Jimin had already clarified. 

“The wolf seems to think you pushed me away because you were aroused,” Hoseok said, directing a concentrated and frustrated glare at his folded legs. I stared at nothing, my eyes as wide as saucers, and my cheeks, ears and neck flared up; damn that fucking Werewolf. “But I’m not sure why you felt like I couldn’t help you.”

Help me.

_Help_.

_Me_. 

My imagination ran wild, dragging me back to that bathroom stall. I closed my eyes and shook those images free. 

“Y-you just can’t,” I said, feeling my chest seize up with embarrassment and uncontrollable desire. I sat up abruptly, incapable of lying against his thigh with such thoughts in my head.

“Of course I can; what use am I if I can’t help you whenever you’re distressed?”

“Sometimes we have to deal with stress, Hoseok; it’s healthy.” I rushed through my words so fast I was surprised I didn’t stumble. “Can we not bring this up again?” What I didn’t expect to have to deal with was the tortured look on his face. He was so upset about all of this, and that _killed_ me. How the hell do I fix this?!

Sure, he wasn’t human, so maybe he didn’t understand why I was embarrassed, but couldn’t he see that it wasn’t _right_ for me to let him just ‘help’ me like that? It shouldn’t have even been an issue; if I could control myself, there would be no reason to explain a thing to him. What was so embarrassing was simply the fact that he made me crazy––so uncontrollably crazy that sometimes I couldn’t even let him hug me for too long, because his body did things to mine that I didn’t want anyone to know about. 

“Stress, at the level that you feel it, Yoongi… I don’t think that’s healthy.”

“You don’t understand,” I mumbled, but I realised too late how much of a mistake that bad been.

“Can you _help_ me understand? I refuse to guilt-trip you, but I don’t feel as though you’re upholding your end of the ‘training’ deal. You never explain a thing to me, especially when it’s confusing me the most.”

I gulped. Was I really about to explain it to him? Did I have a choice? He was right––I was living proof that he’d been training me with all of his might, but I continuously turned down his questions about my emotions. That was, of course, because he only asked about them when I was feeling hot for him. It seemed to be the only thing that still stumped him.

“Just tell me why I can’t help you when you’re feeling aroused…”

I groaned. “Do you even understand what that entitles?”

“Of course: you seek to alleviate tension through sexual climax.”

My heart skipped a few beats and I blinked just once. I had never felt so confronted, and so god damn awkward.

“Right,” I rasped. If I could have passed out from embarrassment I would have, but the sudden flow of adrenaline spiking my blood prevented the likelihood of such relief.

“Talking about it arouses you, doesn’t it?” Hoseok clarified, and I realised he had access to every single thing my body and mind felt right then. My jaw trembled as I nodded. “Let me show you that I can help.”

My fingers closed around his, unconsciously gripping onto a lifeline that was ultimately the main source of my condemnation. My eyes clenched shut as he dragged me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his back, driven by instinct to cling onto him. The softness of his feathers drew my attention away from everything else for a moment, but he dragged me back to earth with long-fingered hands climbing up my denim-clad thighs. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip. Was this really happening?

I refused to acknowledge his finger’s ministrations on my jeans, and turned my attention to his sculpted body up against which I was pressed. He breathed steadily—much more so than myself at that moment—and his flawless skin lit mine on fire. I suddenly gasped, torn from my admiration of his body by his hand closing on the front of my briefs. For the first time in longer than I could remember, aside from the bouts of healing he’d bathed me in, I _moaned_.

I was too embarrassed to move, and simply sat frozen in his lap. Embarrassment clawed at my consciousness until it was everywhere, like the throbbing heat and tension he caused with his hand. He petted with such determination that I didn’t even notice I’d begun grinding against his hand. Open-mouthed gasps filled the quiet room as my hips rolled of their own accord.

“Sh- _shit_ Hoseok-a- _ah_ ,” I growled, because he’d fished my erection out of its confines and was now stroking expertly, skin against skin. He made it even worse a moment later, lifting his hand for a relieving moment, and then suddenly gripping me again. I cried out, because he had lifted it to slick it up with his spit. No way did he know to do that. _No way._ I whined against his neck and one of my hands slid down his back and stroked up his wing. He shuddered against me at the touch, solidifying for me that I’d never felt anything this wonderful.

“Yoongi-yah,” came his quiet voice. “Yoongi!”

~

> _Just to clarify, at that point where he thought was falling asleep, he did actually fall asleep. He was dreaming from then until the end. I’m so rude.bye_


	14. Climax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

I had spent night after night listening to the sounds of Yoongi sleeping, but to finally see him in his most peaceful state… I felt almost too privileged. As he began to drift off, his eyelids fluttered less and less, and his breathing gradually slowed until it was perfectly even. I stroked his hair as he lay in my lap in just the way Jungkook petted his wolf, and a smile rose to my lips at the comparison. 

I figured I should leave him to sleep if he was tired enough to even fall, so I managed to slide a pillow under his heavy head and slip silently out of his room. My eyes bugged when I sensed Jungkook nearby, and I rushed to fold my wings away. Luckily, the boy was in his bedroom with, I assumed, ‘Dooley.’ 

The conversation I’d shared with my charge had clearly made him curious and possibly more cautious about the spirit world. He was getting used to the idea of it all, which helped me relax a little. Thankfully, he trusted me enough to fall asleep with his head on my thigh, so he couldn’t have been too distressed by the new information.

Yoongi had been asleep for a few hours by the time Jungkook decided to make himself something for dinner. He asked me if I wanted anything, and I told him not to bother. Subtly, I watched him; I had thought it was beyond his abilities to make a meal for himself. 

Jimin’s wet nose brushed my leg and I glanced down at him. “What is it, boy?” I asked, giving in to the inviting black fur and stroking between his ears. Large amber eyes drifted shut and then opened again, and his giant head rested on my knee. Believing that this Wolf and the boy-Demon I knew were the same being wasn’t much of a stretch for the imagination. They were both equally attention-seeking, though his Lupe went about it in a quieter, less obnoxious way. I grinned when I imagined stroking his human head, and how I knew he would enjoy it just the same. His soul, after all, was very wolfy. 

Jungkook sat with me while he ate, and offered endless gossip and banter about things I didn’t always understand, though thoroughly enjoyed. We watched an episode of a science-fiction television show, and I drifted away from it to wonder if Yoongi would wake before morning. The Wolf’s quiet whines brought me back to the present. He was nuzzling his human’s thigh, rousing him from the light sleep he’d fallen into whilst watching. 

“Ah… Thanks Dooley-yah…” Jungkook croaked, and he blinked sleepily. “I should go to bed.” 

I reclined on the couch and watched lazily as Jungkook dragged himself between his bedroom and the bathroom to prepare for sleep. He finally wished me a good night and Jimin leapt up to join him in his room before he closed the door for the night. 

“Uh-uh,” Jungkook said to his Wolf, pointing out of his room. “You need to go outside first.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. There wasn’t much of a chance that Jimin would pee in the bedroom, but the fact that Jungkook didn’t put it past him amused me. I wondered if the Wolf felt patronised. 

~

A little while later, when all was quiet and I could hear both boy and Wolf sleeping peacefully, I migrated to my room. I indulged in the very human habit of undressing before I lay on top of the comforter. It really was nice to be given a warm, secure place to relax where I could be closer to my charge. I was sure I hadn’t thanked Yoongi enough, despite him telling me to stop. 

I looked around for something to do, and like most nights, ended up selecting a Japanese cartoon to read. I was beginning to feel the climax of the story approach when suddenly I felt a pang of familiar emotion. Warm. Tense. Yoongi was heating up and… very tense. The moment I listened for it, I heard a soft moan. 

The pages crinkled where my hands tightened on them. 

Immediately, I rose and made my way to his bedroom door, the manga forgotten. I didn’t need to press my ear to the wood to hear his body moving against his sheets. I heard his teeth grind and his breath whoosh harshly past his lips. Alarmed, I turned the doorknob and crept inside. 

My brow pinched as I watched his pale figure against the very centre of the black bed sheets. He looked and felt distressed, but was clearly still asleep. I didn’t want to wake him, but I couldn’t ignore that I was worried. 

“Oh, god…” I tensed and turned: Jimin—human Jimin—was standing stiffly behind me. ”I was sure I could smell his pheromones and I thought something was up, but I didn’t think he was sleeping.”

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed. My brows furrowed while I looked back at my restless human; he was even sweating. The darkness couldn’t hide his shimmering skin and parted lips. “What do you mean his ‘pheromones’? He looks distressed.” Despite the question, I could sense his fluctuating hormone levels as well.

“Your human is hardly distressed, Hoseok-ah. He’s having a wet dream,” Jimin whispered. 

“A what?”

“You know, a kinky dream. He’s dreaming about getting off.”

“A- ... About what?”

“You know! About rubbing one out?” He must have seen from my expression that I wasn’t following. “Or maybe he’s dreaming about you… Maybe he has an Angel fetish.”

I wrinkled my nose, understanding those words loud and clear. “You’re disgusting.”

“Look at him! He’s even rubbing his thighs together—he’s probably gonna sploodge any second now.”

My brows furrowed while I looked back at my restless human. 

“What if he’s having a nightmare?”

“That’s no nightmare, Seokie-yah. He’s dreaming about the D. Specifically his. Possibly yours as well.”

“What should I do? Should I wake him?”

“I think we should watch.”

With a frustrated, quiet huff, I turned my attention back to my human. 

“Go back to Jungkook,” I demanded, shooting Jimin a look to reinforce force it. He didn’t argue and shrugged his round, toned shoulders.

“Goodnight,” he whispered as he sauntered out of the room and gently pulled the door closed. 

Once the soft click of the latch sounded, my eyes landed back on my charge. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his chest heaved. My fingers twitched, but I didn’t know if I should stay or leave. Restlessly, Yoongi rolled onto his stomach, and his face rubbed harshly into the pillow I had laid under his head. Another soft sigh left his lips, less breath and more voice, and I couldn’t help but interfere. He was simply too tense to be all right. 

My feet made no noise as I made my way to the side of his queen-sized bed. I leant down and touched the ebony, silk sheets with my fingers, just where the moonlight lit a thin streak across his room. As gently as I could, I crawled across the firm mattress to where he laid, further into the dark corner his bed was against.

“Yoongi,” I whispered, and brushed my hand over his shoulder. His skin was clammy and much warmer than I expected. My lips twitched. A heavy sigh passed his lips, breathed down towards his chest, and he rolled away from me onto his back. 

I could feel concern creasing my brow, and I reached out to touch his face. Sweat beaded his skin, and his cheeks burned. Was Jimin right? The heat was stronger now, flowing through our bond until I too felt warm and tense. Yoongi’s head thrashed lazily and his hair whipped over his face, wet at the tips with perspiration. I really wanted him to wake—this didn’t seem right.

“Yoongi,” I said, louder than before, and his brow creased to match mine, though the expression faded quickly. I leant down and hovered my face beside his, and my lips brushed his ear. “Yoongi,” I repeated. 

I felt his hand close meekly around my bicep, and his face turned towards me. I pulled back and stared. 

“H-Hoseok-ah,” he stuttered and slurred, though his eyes hadn’t opened. My eyes gaze locked on his lips at the ‘mmph’ sound he made. 

“Yah, are you okay? Wake up,” I cooed, shaking him a little with a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly he sucked in a shuddering breath and his eyes blinked open. 

“Hhh-hhoseok…” he rasped, and his hips shifted on the bed. It almost stung when his fingers dug into my arm. “Uuhhhnn,” he moaned, and his eyes slid shut again. 

“Yoongi…” I didn’t know what to think. He felt and sounded feverish, but only warmth filled me from his bond. If Jimin was correct, why was he such a mess? Is this how it’s supposed to be?

Without warning, Yoongi went rigid and his eyes flew all the way open. Without restraint, he cursed and weakly shoved me with palms flat against my shoulders. I got out of his way as he stumbled up from his bed and trotted awkwardly out of his room. I stared. What…?

A few moments passed while I sat alone on his bed, but I couldn’t help getting up. The pull towards him was stronger when he threw emotions like this at me, and I followed my sixth sense to the bathroom. As soon as I got close, stifling heat buffeted me from every angle. Was that from inside? It felt so terribly physical: all around me. My muscles tensed until they trembled, and I leant against the wall beside the bathroom door. 

As though I had absolutely no control of my voice, I let out a confused, startled “oh.”

It became increasingly difficult to focus, but I could make out Yoongi’s muffled pants and stifled whines from outside the door. It could only make sense that Jimin was correct, but my logic wouldn’t surpass that just yet. I slid to the floor, the plaster cold against my back. The coolness didn’t stop heat from climbing up inside me until I matched my human’s panting breath. The air felt thinner, and I needed more. I winced as my fists clenched around my thighs—my skin was so suddenly and so alarmingly sensitive. 

My head rolled back against the wall—what was he doing in there?! A few long, hot, breathtaking moments later, and with surprised, muffled shouts from us both, scorching heat blossomed in my groin, and my tightly coiled muscles reached a point of no return. Grasping at the smooth, hardwood floor, the pale wall paint, and my dark sweat pants, I shuddered and writhed through a series of shockingly pleasurable muscle-contractions. My toes curled, my back arched, and my eyes were screwed shut so tight that I saw stars and flashes of white. 

Calming down after that took a while, but I didn’t move one bit. I panted until I could breathe evenly again, and suddenly wondered what exactly just happened. I didn’t have to ponder too long—the toilet flushing and the sound of the bathroom basin turning on jarred me out of my thoughts. I pressed my hands to the floor to help me up, but I wasn’t quite ready for just how weak I felt. I decided to stay there for a little while longer. 

Cold rushed in when I sat completely still, and I realised the heat from inside me had caused a light sweat across my entire body. I swallowed thickly and bent a leg at the knee to test my strength. 

… why is my underwear wet?

The bathroom door swung open quietly, and I jumped in shock. Yoongi took a few slow steps out into the living room and I moved to stand on wobbly legs. He started, his head whipping around to look at me. 

“Sorry,” I breathed out of habit, low enough not to disturb Jungkook. 

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“I came to see what you were doing, but…” I cut myself off with a confused ‘eh,’ and I glanced down at the slight wet patch at the front of my pants. 

After a long moment, Yoongi breathed “Oh, Christ,” and filled his lungs. He turned away from me then and shook his head, his hands balling into fists. “Oh man, I’m sorry… I didn’t realise-… I-is that because of me?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my whole body feeling tired and heavy: relaxed. “But I don’t think it was me.” He seemed so distressed, but I couldn’t figure out why. I, on the other hand, felt rather amazing.

“Oh my god,” he groaned. “And it was all a dream.”

“What was a dream?”

“Nothing! Don’t worry. Ugh.”

I just watched him, confused, but prepared to give him time before asking him to explain. I could feel the embarrassment flooding him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I felt calm having realised that he hadn’t been having an awful dream, so I let him do whatever he wanted. 

“You should ch-change, probably,” Yoongi suggested, and I nodded. 

“Of course.” I needed some time to figure all of this out in my head, so I didn’t try to drag him back when he turned away and made for his bedroom. I only asked if he was all right, and the rushed nod, I figured, was the only reassurance I was going to get until morning. That was all right. I needed almost that long to sift through my knowledge from the term-quarter that had been spent studying human reproduction and sexual behaviour. Apparently, that was where that dream had taken my charge. 

~

In the morning, Yoongi avoided me like he hadn’t recovered even slightly from the embarrassment of the night before. I let him have his space, as much as it killed me. Every time he let me close—like last night when he fell asleep in my lap—something happened to drag him away from me again. It got unbelievably uncomfortable to watch him from a distance after finding out it could potentially be me that made him distressed. I wished more than anything that I could only ever be the one to make him feel better.

After Jungkook left for school—putting his wolf in a good mood with profuse cuddles and kisses while he put his shoes on—Yoongi and I were left mostly alone in the quiet house. He had class in the afternoon, and we usually would spend this morning exercising. Jimin lounged on a single couch in simply a pair of Jungkook’s shorts, and filled the silence with ramblings about his imprinted human’s sleep-mumbling and how his snoring hadn’t been so bad recently. He even mentioned some of the things Jungkook told him about that he hadn’t ever mentioned around Yoongi, which would usually make Yoongi curious, but today he was quiet.

When my charge was not in the room, Jimin sat up; his body language and expression reeked of mischief.

“Did you two get it on last night?” 

I stared at Jimin, my brows beginning to crease. I didn’t know what he meant, but I assumed from his low tone that it was something he didn’t want my human hearing. 

“Get what on?”

Jimin just rolled his eyes, but we both jumped when a shout came from the other room.   
“Excuse me?!” Yoongi shrieked. 

Jimin gaped, at a loss for words, and Yoongi flooded me with unbridled anger and no lack of embarrassment. The human stormed into the lounge room and glared at Jimin. 

“Th-the bathroom is right beside Jungkook’s room… I’m sorry if I heard something I shouldn’t have-”

“You heard nothing, Jimin. Nothing. Mind your damn business!”

The whispered “sorry” that left the Werewolf’s lips probably didn’t reach Yoongi’s ears. I gaped as well, just watching the human’s face darken. He looked almost as angry as he felt. 

“Yoongi, can we talk about this, please?” I begged.

“No!” His voice cracked when he said it. The word was punctuated with so much meaning, like it was completely ridiculous that I would suggest such a thing. 

“O-okay…” When I asked him not to push me away or block me out, he hadn’t disagreed, but he hadn’t agreed either. This really unsettled him, and I wished I could just let it be. If it didn’t ache to feel him so distressed—because of me—I could have ignored it. 

I swallowed thickly, and his face softened. “I-I’m sorry, Hoseok… It’s just… not this, okay? It should… It should never have happened. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” I asked, getting up from the couch and walking towards him. I heard Jimin silently slink out of the room as I reached out for my charge’s hands. 

“D-don’t...” Yoongi said, his anger melting away as he dropped his eyes and drew away from me. I froze, devastation flooding me. “Hoseok,” he breathed, closing his eyes, his brows pinching up in the middle. “Christ, don’t you see?”

I waited for him to go on, but he just stared downwards. 

“Please tell me,” I begged. “Please explain to me why sometimes I can hold you and sometimes I can’t. Please tell me why you’re embarrassed to talk to me about what you feel. I don’t understand you, but I want nothing more than to. You’re my purpose, Yoongi. Help me understand you.”

I could feel the vibrations in his spirit, travelling across our bond, stronger and deeper than ever before. His expression was reserved, like he was barely hiding the emotions he felt from his face. 

His breath shuddered slightly when he dragged a breath in, and he glanced anxiously at where Jimin had been. “I…I-I guess… I guess I owe you that much.”

We walked in silence to his bedroom and sat on his bed, but the distance ached more now than ever. He observed my discomfort and slowly—carefully, like he wasn’t sure it was all right—he shifted closer. We sat cross-legged with our knees touching, his heart thudding audibly and my hands on his calves. 

“What if a human were attracted to an Angel?” The question left his lips like it was highly important as well as painfully embarrassing. 

“I cannot see an issue with that,” I replied, meeting his intense gaze in an attempt to understand it. 

“There’s no… rule against it?”

“We have no rules for humans. Our rules apply to ourselves.”

“Th-then... could an Angel be attracted to a human?”

This topic unsettled him greatly—that was highly evident in the rigid set of his body and the slight shaking of his voice, not to mention the tension I felt though our bond, which was entirely his. If he didn’t want to talk about it, however, I knew he wouldn’t. 

“Of course an Angel could be, but there would be issues were the attraction to go too far.” 

“So you’re not really supposed to…?”

I shook my head. “Angels and humans of the same gender are paired to help avoid issues like that.”

Yoongi looked away then, nodding slowly. Despite the relative calm on the outside, he was in great toil on the inside. I couldn’t understand how he was keeping a straight face. 

“Does it ever happen?” he asked, not meeting my eyes this time. 

“Has an Angel felt attracted to a human?” I clarified. He nodded. “I’ve heard of it happening.”

“Why do they try to avoid it?”

My lips twisted while I considered how to respond. “When a human is in love with someone, they say they ‘fell’ for that person, right?” Yoongi’s eyes locked in mine then and he nodded slightly. “That term is more literal for us… We can form spirit-bonds with humans just like Demons can, in the same way.”

“Like Jungkook and Jimin, right?”

“That’s right. Were a human to fall for me, a bond would cause me to lose my wings, binding me to earth. Effectively, it would make me a Fallen Angel.”

“Lose your wings?” He sounded slightly mortified by the idea. 

“It’s supposed to be a punishment. A guardian is a figure of protection. Unless it’s essential, a guardian shouldn’t interfere with their charge’s life. Allowing their charge to develop feelings for them is considered… I suppose, a mistake.”

Almost out of the blue, Yoongi’s emotions crashed like lightning inside me. I couldn’t help the gasp, nor stop myself from reaching out for his arms and dragging him against me, as though it would help him. 

“H-Hoseok-” he croaked, obviously confused. “I-I’m okay,” he assured me once he realised what I’d reacted to. 

“Your emotions terrify me sometimes,” I mumbled into his hair. He was quiet for a while, relaxing into my arms. He apologised in a whisper, and I shook my head. “I’m glad I can feel it, because you hide it much too well.” 

“I don’t want you to feel the dumb stuff I feel…”

“Dumb?” I questioned, loosening my grip on him just enough to see his face. The effort was moot a second later when he buried his head against my chest. “Yoongi, it can’t be dumb if it’s what you’re really feeling.” His emotions had cooled momentarily but were now flaring back up. My brow creased with frustration. “I don’t understand,” I admitted, having no prior exposure to the intense emotions he sent through me and nothing to relate them to. 

“Can’t you feel it?” he asked, his voice muffled by my shirt. 

“At the moment I can feel everything, but I don’t know what it means. All I know is it’s strong right now—almost painful—and wish I knew what you were thinking.” He didn’t make any attempt to alleviate my worry and frustration, but I wasn’t going to force him. 

Finally, he took a deep breath and explained: “I’m afraid of that happening to you.”

My creased brows softened. It surprised me to realise what that meant. If he was worried about me falling, it meant I’d already attracted him; he already had feelings for me. I swallowed hard, forcing down my alarm.

“It’s my job to protect you, Yoongi; I’ll do it no matter what it takes.”

“What happens if you fall?”

It took me a moment to reply. “I’m not entirely sure,” I lied smoothly, and regretted it. I moved so I could look at him properly. “But don’t worry about it, and certainly don’t worry about me. I was put on earth to protect you, and I plan to do just that.”

“What wouldn’t you do for me, honestly…” he mumbled, though I was pretty sure he didn’t expect me to answer him.

“Nothing,” I said anyway. “You know that.”

“Nothing?” he repeated, his tone rising. I hummed my affirmation and felt a smile creep onto my lips in the silence. “Would you make lunch for Jungkook every day?”

I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest. “Yes, if you asked me to and… taught me how.”

“Seriously though… there has actually got to be something you wouldn’t do.” He lifted his head then, and met my eyes. I thought hard. There were a few things I would have to pretend to not do if he asked me not to, like if he got sick of me and asked me not to watch him, I’d agree and keep my distance, but no way would I stop watching. In reality, I didn’t think there was anything I wouldn’t do if he asked, except leave him. “Nothing?” he clarified again, and his eyes flicked slightly downwards from mine.

“Nothing.”

He didn’t move his eyes for a few moments, and a slow, deep breath filled his lungs. “Would you kiss me?”

Suppressing my confusion at the odd question, I hesitated. “Yes,” I answered. And why wouldn’t I? Maybe a kiss would mean something to him that I hadn’t considered. I’d seen him kiss Jungkook’s temple, and the top of his head when he was sitting down, and I knew it was affectionate. I hadn’t seen them hug, though, and Yoongi and I spent a lot of time hugging. Now was not the time to ponder the forever-confusing habits of humans, however.

His fingers curled in the sides of my shirt, and I suddenly realised the hot, swirling emotions that had slowly risen up inside us both. The way he stared at my mouth didn’t leave much to the imagination: even for me.

Solidifying my suspicions, he breathed: “kiss me.”

Instead of asking why—or the more important question: how—I leant towards him. He tipped his chin up slightly, nervously. I blinked, eyeing his tense expression, and felt his eagerness and my own confusion clash messily. His shoulders rose and fell at triple-speed; I wondered why he was so anxious. I settled on the assumption that he didn’t want me to kiss him like he kissed Jungkook, and that it wouldn’t mean anything like the same thing. Before I left him waiting too long, I tipped my chin up, his eyes drifted closed, and I pressed my lips against his.

Yoongi dragged a short breath in through his nose, and his jaw dropped. His overwhelming joy coursed through him and through me until I couldn’t tell whose emotion it was. My lips parted willingly and I followed his lead, kissing him back. 

Human emotions were much too raw and violent for me to understand. They controlled him entirely, and even if he tried to reason with himself, a fiery desire took over and flattened his inhibitions. His trembles vibrated through me until they were our trembles. 

His pulse only accelerated from there, thudding against me where he pressed himself to my chest. I held him equally tightly, completely driven by the desire he threw at me, intentionally and also through our bond. I’d seen Yoongi get emotional in many different situations. I’d seen him afraid, for his life and his brother’s; I’d seen him so angry that it made my own blood boil; I’d seen him confused and worried and ecstatically happy, but this… The emotion he was sending me right at that moment was so wildly uncontrollable, so deep and real, so warm and addictive… I didn’t even need a second to know what it was. 

Min Yoongi, my charge, was in love with me, and not by anybody’s standards was I any less than one-hundred-percent in love with him, as well.

~


	15. Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Taehyung

~

It would have been easier to explain if I had stayed away from the Demon-Hunter. It would have been sane—an instinctual urge to keep myself safe—but I did just the opposite. He didn’t seem to trust me entirely, but he didn’t argue when I made advances on him, either. He wouldn’t let me in on his sniffing around, but he certainly didn’t stop me coming back to his place of an evening. 

Daehyun wasn’t entirely happy that the Hunters were still around. “If you see him so often, why don’t you make yourself useful and find something out? Find out who he’s working for, and if he’s learnt anything about why there are so many Demons here.”

I didn’t like the idea, but I was driven to be faithful to the pack. 

After maybe our tenth time together, I was sprawled out across Seokjin’s queen-sized bed, enjoying the post-sex bliss of our first round, and looking forward to the next. The sheets were fresh and soft, and smelt like gentle fragrances mixed with our combined scents. 

“Hyung,” I called, and glanced into the en suite. I noticed Seokjin tense and turn to face me. It was my first time testing out the title on him, and his reaction brought a smile to my lips. His brow rose on one side, and my smile widened as I tried not to laugh, wrinkling my eyes and showing my teeth. 

“Yes, Taehyung?”

My smile dropped away slightly when I remembered what I had to ask him. “Ah...” I sighed, a little frustrated. “My pack Beta wants me to find stuff out about you, but I don’t wanna lie and snoop around…”

Seokjin’s brow creased as he dried his hands on a white towel. “I think you just defeated the purpose of his sending you here.”

“He doesn’t send me here. And I didn’t really… You could just tell me some things.”

“No,” he said, chuckling, “I couldn’t.”

“Why not? You already said I’m not the enemy, and you know my pack isn’t either. We have a common goal.” I pouted slightly. “And I don’t want either of us to get in trouble from our superiors.”

“You’re a Demon, Taehyung. You act like you don’t see that at all.”

I frowned. “If my being a Demon is any reason for you to keep things from me, why do you take me home and sleep with me?”

“Sleeping with you doesn’t reveal a thing about my job to you, does it?”

“Can you just tell me who you work for?”

“What does it matter? I’m working for humans, to keep humans safe. You know that we’re looking for the cause of this Demon-Gathering. There isn’t anything else you need to know.”

“So you haven’t found anything out?”

“Nothing substantial.”

“Have you picked up other Demons?”

“...as in slept with them?”

I nodded. 

“Yes.” He frowned when I did. “Don’t give me that look.”

“Other Wolves?”

“Maybe; why does it matter?”

“Well, what did they tell you?”

“Same sorts of things as you,” he said with a sigh. 

I stared up at the ceiling, frustrated that I felt jealous. Jealous that I wasn’t the only one Seokjin slept with. Of course I wasn’t; he only slept with me for information in the first place. 

“Why are you mad at me now?”

“I’m not mad!” I snapped, but after a short silence we both chuckled. “God dammit,” I sighed. 

“You’re jealous.”

“Don’t,” I groaned.

“Make sure you don’t imprint on me, now. Wouldn’t that be ironic.”

As soon as that word had left his lips, a wave of shock passed over me. I swallowed hard and suppressed it. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Seokjin reclined beside me, his black shirt open and baring his relaxed torso to me. In soft lamplight, he looked like a sculpture made of bronze. I felt my lips twitching, warning me that I was emotionally uncomfortable. 

Shit. Could I have imprinted on Seokjin?

I rolled onto my side, facing him, and searched his face for a few moments. On the surface, he was calm and slightly amused by my grumpiness. I reached out with my sixth sense, with what little talent I had, and touched gently at the edges of his spirit. He wouldn’t feel me there, not with only half a Demon soul, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. 

I had to distract him, so I took the initiative to commence round two. I kissed him slowly, knowing he’d be the one to speed it up when he wanted. His tongue dove impatiently past my lips to prod at my piercing, and I sighed happily, reaching up to push his shirt back off his shoulder. While he struggled to rid himself of the clothing without leaving my lips, I reached in a little deeper past his soul’s defenses. I wasn’t interested in the Demon side, since very little about what was Seokjin would reside there. I felt around for a wall, but there was little emotional defense right in that moment.   
He kissed me deeply, like usual, stripping us both to nakedness. It always happened this way; we were too impatient to bother losing clothing on the first round, and we managed to slow it down the second time around. It seemed like he felt no reason to block me out while we weren’t talking, and I focused on delving deeper, very gently so not to get his attention. 

I wasn’t very skilled at this sort of thing. I had only practiced this kind of fine-tuned searching on humans, and they never suspected a thing. Jimin once asked me to try prodding at his spirit, and the moment I began, he lashed out and cut me off. That was his apparently amusing way of letting me know that you shouldn’t be prodding around at other spirits, ever. Disoriented and mad at him, I didn’t even bother asking why. 

Seokjin’s human spirit told me more than I could ever ask him to tell me. He felt more aware than most humans, but his senses were still dim in comparison to mine. His mind was sharp and his emotions controlled. There were hints of defenses around the more personal parts of his soul. I touched on things he would probably never admit to me. He was lonely, and had been that way for a long time. He wasn’t insecure; in fact, he was over-confident with himself, and perhaps a little blinded by the power his half-Demon soul promised. He was confident that he was safe, even when I could easily kill him at any time. Seokjin had weaknesses, but they were not what I was looking for.  
I searched and searched, and finally, as I panted breathlessly to the sporadic rhythm of his thrusts, I found what I was looking for: his feelings for me. 

It wasn’t like ink on paper; I didn’t know exactly how he felt as though it was written there. I had to decipher his feelings from the colours I touched in his aura. It wasn’t warm, in fact it was like a wall all of its own. It was forced, to the point where I wondered if he was bottling up anything he actually wanted to feel, leaving an obvious coldness in the place of honest feelings. 

I whined, even though I was barely there with him in the physical sense. I hated he idea that he blocked me out, probably without even noticing, and I tore away from his spirit before I found out something else I would rather not. 

He was rutting against me now, his face buried in my neck, spilling hot breaths down my front. I pressed my lips together and slid my hands up to his cheeks. Back in my body, I swooned as the heat and tension caught up to me. We were both close. I pulled his face up to mine. Seokjin mewled as he pressed himself in deep, and he stilled his hips to just kiss me back. I arched against him and felt my brows pinch upwards. Everything he did to me contradicted his defensive feelings. It tortured me to want him to like me. It proved what I didn’t want to believe. I had imprinted. 

I had imprinted on a Demon-Hunter. 

~

Right after round three, I lay, panting, and had an epiphany. I needed to satisfy Daehyun, and not only that, but I needed to get my earlier epiphany off my mind. 

“Make me pancakes.”

“What?” he growled. His voice was always half-gone after the third round. 

“Make me pancakes. With berries. And chocolate.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Because I asked nicely.”

“No you didn’t-”

“And because you didn’t pull out when I asked you to.”

“You have never asked me t-”

“Make me pancaaaaaakes~” I whined. 

“Fine, Jesus Christ.”

I watched his bare ass cheeks as he stood up, stretched a little, and then bent to pick up a pair of sweat pants. 

I bit my lip, because damn. Like, damn. 

While he made metal clinging noises in the kitchen, I leapt up and silently began my search. Rummaging, rummaging, rummaging, in his drawers, on his desk… But I barely found a thing. It seemed too cliché when I picked up a leather-bound journal. I peeked inside, and suddenly stood up straight. Wow, this really is his Hunter journal. 

In the most recently written-in pages, there were scribbles of coordinates, addresses around town, and names I didn’t recognise. Absently biting my lip, I turned pages. He wrote about demons he’d met, things they’d said to him, and he wrote about me. 

Kim Taehyung

about one-seventy-six??  
orange hair  
wolf - not native  
not mature   
not imprinted  
lying for friends

Angel in town - protecting a human

what did the human do??  
find human

I took a deep breath and moved on. There were two more pages of Demons he’d questioned: both Vampires. I cringed. I’d never met a vampire, but it felt right to cringe. Junhong would cringe. 

Forgetting that he’d slept with Vampires, I turned to the last page he’d written in. 

Angel’s Human - Yoongi?? native werewolf in house(imprinted)

I blinked rapidly. Had a Vampire told him that? I took a few deep breaths and glanced through the last of the pages—all blank. After gently closing the journal and placing it back where I thought it had been, I suddenly realised I was still naked. 

With my boxers on, I walked through Seokjin’s hall to his kitchen. Four AM, and he was making me pancakes. My heart throbbed. 

I slid onto a bench stool where I could watch him cook. It looked like he’d just poured the first one onto the pan. 

“Find what you were looking for?”

“Not really. Have you seriously not discovered anything? It’s been like a month.”

Seokjin just shook his head. 

“What about the other Hunters?”

He shook it again, just once this time, as he prodded at the edges of the cooking batter with a steel spatula. 

I licked my lips, watching his hands. 

“Do you know the Hunters that….” I stopped myself, because I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know who I was close to. 

“That…?”

“Nothing.”

“That picked up your friends?”

I shot him a nervous look. 

“Yes, I know them. Your friends are a tall, cute boy with blonde hair and an older guy, but I don’t know anything about the older guy. My partner decided to pretend it never happened.” He smiled while he said it, then added: “whilst blushing heavily.”

“Is your partner a bottom?”

Seokjin chuckled, and his smile lit up the entire room. 

“Why do you ask?”

“Because my pack Beta is not.”

“Your Beta? Jae fucked a Beta?” He stared at me for a moment, and I stared back. Then I stared at the pancake. 

“Don’t let that burn, Hyung; it’s not worth it.”

He glanced down and skillfully flipped the half-done desert onto its wet side. 

“Are you sure that was a Beta?”

“I… He told me he picked up that night, but… We might not be talking about the same Wolf…”

“Why didn’t he bite Jae? He was clearly marked. No Beta would miss that… Unless he was really trashed…”

“He said he didn’t notice… But wait, he wouldn’t bite anyone! What the hell is that meant to mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what is that meant to mean?’ That’s a Beta’s job—expand the pack.”

“Are you seriously trying to teach pack dynamics to a Werewolf?”

“This is my area, Taehyung.”

“Well excuse me if I am a Werewolf. Daehyun hates changing people. He only changed me because I was dying and I begged. We don’t seek to expand our pack, ever. What lying trash fed you that crap?”

Seokjin was quiet while he flipped the first pancake onto a plate and pushed it towards me. He had that expression like he didn’t dare admit he was wrong. 

“I’m not eating the first one; they’re always weird.”

He glared for a moment, and then took the plate back. 

“Daehyun is your pack Beta?”

“Yes,” I admitted. 

“And he’s your sire?”

After a long hesitation, I nodded. Seokjin glanced up at me for a moment. “Do they teach you to spread these stories to us so that we’re not afraid of you?”

“Wait, you think I made that up?”

“Taehyung, you’re a Demon.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’re trying to convince me that Werewolves don’t seek out humans to join their pack.” I just stared at him, not even bothering to nod. “And what… You just live happily? And breed amongst yourselves?” My brow pinched. 

“Why is that so difficult to understand? We’re earth-bound, just like you, and we have a way of living here in peace, just like you.”

He just shook his head, flipping the next pancake. 

“That one’s perfect; I call it.”

“Shove off; this one’s mine.”

I whined and he laughed. 

“Grab anything you want from the fridge or pantry… I probably have berries. And chocolate.”

“Why do you have all of this stuff? Aren’t you only here temporarily?”

“I’m not gonna eat it all, I just… shop to look normal.”

“Well you’re in luck; I’m fantastic at eating.”

For the first time, I fell asleep in his bed. 

~

I had always moved around when I slept, and apparently I was no different that night. When I felt myself wake, I refused to acknowledge at first that I should be getting up. It came back to me that I was in Seokjin’s bed, and I smiled. 

“Sleep well?” came a soft voice, and I rolled over to face away from him, burying my smile in his pillow. “You don’t only kick in your sleep, but you punch as well.”

“Sorry,” I murmured, trying to suppress just how elated I felt to wake up beside him. I didn’t want to open my eyes just yet: the moment was perfect enough.

“As long as you slept well,” he said quietly. I wondered what time it was; the room was artificially darkened by thick curtains. A yawn took over and I let my mouth gape wide to fill my lungs. The moment I rolled onto my back, Seokjin gasped. Lazily, once I finished yawning, I blinked my eyes open and gazed at him. 

“Holy crap,” he mumbled, his eyes darting around my face. 

“What?” But as soon as the word left me, I realised I had woken in the comfort of my Anthrokos form. “Oh,” I chuckled and smiled. “Meet wolfy Taehyung,” I said as I stretched and grinned. I peeked at him and caught him staring at my teeth. “Never seen an Anthrokos before?” I asked, rolling onto my stomach. 

“Not one that wasn’t trying to kill me,” he mumbled, his brow creasing. 

“Well, you made me pancakes, so I probably won’t try to kill you today.”

“Do you always wake up like that?”

“No; if I sleep as Lupe I wake up as him… But if I sleep as human me then yeah, when I relax I always become this.”

“So all that time we spent together—all the time you’re in clubs and mingling with humans—you’re not even comfortable?”

“It’s not really like that. I am comfortable, but it just takes a bit of effort and concentration. I think it’s easier for me than native Wolves, though.”

“When did you… change?”

“Four years ago,” I said, and glanced down at the bed. 

“When are you eighteen?”

I swallowed and met his eyes. “December. Thirtieth.”

He just nodded, still holding my eyes. I told myself it was just because they looked different—just because the Wolf in me shone them golden instead of the usual dull brown—but I couldn’t help myself from staring back and falling hard. We had long surpassed the time limit for casual eye-contact, and I knew it was a bad idea to read into it, but I did. He had never looked at me like this before. I felt an unfamiliar tug deep inside, really deep: deep enough that it had to be in my soul. I couldn’t doubt it anymore; Seokjin had a part of me that I hadn’t wanted to give him. I wondered if he could see these emotions playing across my face. 

So. This was what a spirit bond felt like. 

“What does it take to lose concentration enough to slip back into that form from human form? I mean, if you can keep yourself together during sex, it must be damn near impossible to lose control at all.”

“Well, obviously sleep does it. Apart from that, the full moon makes it impossible to stay in human from for any length of time, and if I feel really threatened, I always change; I can’t help it.”

“What if…” Seokjin’s eyes flicked to the ceiling as he thought. “What iiiiiffff…” He moved towards me, very subtly, and didn’t shift his gaze. Just before he spoke his hands shot towards me, and after a split second of shock, I felt my body tense from the unmistakable, unbearable feeling of him tickling me. I writhed and attempted to wriggle away, but he pulled me against his chest and dug his fingers in all the most sensitive places. 

“No! I screamed. “KIM SEOKJIN I WILL END YOU.” I tossed and kicked and giggled and screeched, but to no avail. I laughed so hard I choked on my spit. “I could k-kiLL YOU whenEVER I FEEL- AAHH! WHENEVER I F-FEEL LIKE IT! YOU WORTHLESS FUCKING COCKSUCKER I SWEAR TO G-GOD I’LL BREAK YOUR NECK.” He just chuckled, finding great joy in tormenting me. “You sadistic shit! S-sssto~p!” I managed to roll over so that I could tear my arms free and wrap them around his shoulders. I rolled us so that I was on top of him, and pinned his wrists above his head. 

Panting hard, I glared down at him. “Was that amusing to you?”

“Quite,” he said with a grin.

“Fantastic. Let me know if you have any handcuffs so I can leave you here.”

Seokjin smirked and went to throw me off him but I didn’t budge. “Urgh,” he grunted, straining at my half-hearted grip as though he was really trying to tear himself free. “What the hell? Are you stronger in that form?”

“Just a bit,” I admitted. I grinned, and he inhaled deeply. The look in his eyes was a reserved sort of worry. 

“I see,” he sighed. 

“So, tell me, Seokjin: how would you handle it if I seriously threatened you right now?” 

“You wouldn’t.”

“That’s not the point. If you’d just fucked some young Wolf and he decided to roll on top of you and go all doggy on you, demanding something maybe, I don’t know… What would you do?”

“Seduce him again? If I can do it once, I can do it again.”

“That’s wishful thinking. This Wolf wants something. You’re wide open right now; he could tear your throat out with his teeth.” On the last word, I deliberately bared the long canines that I knew alarmed him. His gaze shot to them, as expected. 

“Don’t threaten me, Taehyung.”

It might have been pushing it, but I goaded him further. “What if I did?”

My arms hadn’t relaxed, and neither had my grip around his wrists. I expected him to try something. I wasn’t disappointed. He swiped his right arm towards his left so swiftly that I fell forward from the force I’d been pushing it into the pillow. He used my weight and strength to throw me down onto my back, and before I could blink, he was beside the bed, a sharp, silver knife in his hand. 

“I’d probably do something like that.”

I smiled a little, staring up at him from the bed. “Not bad.”

Without putting the knife down, he knelt back on the bed and crawled towards me. I tried not to stare at the weapon, but it stole my attention when he wielded it so close to me. He straddled me and lazily sat down on my hips. 

“If I could be cornered by a young, non-native wolf that easily, do you think I’d be paid to hunt Demons?”

I shook my head slightly, my attention leaving the knife as my gaze trailed up his body. He was much paler where his shirt usually covered his skin, and a thin line of hair split his tummy down the middle from his navel. Despite feeling threatened by the menacing silver in his hand, I reached out and glided my fingers down his front. 

“When did you become a Demon-Hunter?” I asked softly, watching his muscles move as he breathed.

I flinched when the flat of the cold steel blade touched my shoulder. “What is it now… October? Three-and-a-half years ago now.”

“You’re even more of a rookie than me,” I whispered as the edge of the blade ghosted harmlessly across my chest. He was beginning to scare me now, but I held onto my confidence. I was somewhat sure he wouldn’t hurt me.

“Why did you?” I continued, and watched the metal slide down my middle to my navel. Seokjin lifted the blade then and inspected it.

“It runs in the family.” He looked at me before he added: “so I was marked at birth. I may as well learn to protect myself.” We both watched the steel as he leant to place it on the side table. “Long story short, Wolf, don’t threaten me.”

I watched his face while he stared sternly at me. His message sunk in—I wasn’t going to risk it again. That aside, he was sitting on my crotch, and I had just woken up—my testosterone was on a high.

Making sure not to move too quickly, I shifted slightly with the intention of relocating his weight. I was unsuccessful, and achieved nought but alerting him to my discomfort.

His voice was slightly surprised. “Hell, I nailed you good last night; what, are you in heat or something?” As he said it, he reached behind himself and squeezed my thighs. I mewled, despite the insinuation that I was female.

“I’m not a bitch,” I growled, and shoved him off me.

He laughed. “You sure take it like one.”

I wanted to get mad, I really did, but I was horny: so much so that I didn’t want to ruin my chances of getting relief. I rolled over and sat up. He watched, amused, as I pushed his legs up and crawled between them. I laid myself over him and glowered right into his eyes. I knew my wolfy state intimidated him, even if he wouldn’t admit it, and I took a little pleasure in that. My frown softened as I bent down towards him, and surprisingly, he let me kiss him.

Tentatively, he kissed me back. I took advantage of his hesitance—and my strength—to rid him of his sweats before he could resist. He smothered his alarmed protest with a harder kiss, and after a moment of shock, he moaned. There was no questioning that he liked it rough, and now I knew it didn’t matter who dealt it.

I palmed his cock and swallowed his delighted sounds. He bucked his hips when I pulled my hand away. If he was letting me do this, I was going to have it my way.

I sat up and leant my boxer-clad hips against his crotch, and he moaned, but cut himself off. “What do you think you’re doing?” he rasped, his voice already tainted with lust.

I just smiled and lifted my hand to my lips. I lapped at my fingers until they dripped with spit, watching him realise exactly where I was taking this. His body shuddered when I trailed my slick fingers between his ass cheeks.

“Taehyung,” he growled, attempting to push me back, but I pinned him by his chest with my spare arm. Bending over him to get up in his face, I grinned, dragging his attention to my inhuman canines. He slowly relaxed.

“Yes, Seokjin?”

His nose wrinkled when I pressed the pads of my fingers against his hole. “Are you r-really going to top me?”

I dropped my head and trailed wet kisses and licks across his jaw. “Yep,” I assured him. “I’m gonna make you my bitch.”

He groaned when I pushed two fingers inside him. “Even if I apologise?”

“Even if you beg me not to,” I confirmed, not that I meant that at all. I wanted to sound as tough as I was acting, and all it did as make him submit more.

Seokjin’s look of discomfort melted away as I prodded deep at his insides. He seemed embarrassed to let a yelp of pleasure slip out. “Ugh, Taehyung… y-you don’t know what you’re doing…”

“Excuse me?” I curled my fingers extra hard towards his belly, and he cried out at the abuse to his prostate.

“Th-that’s not what I mean…”

I didn’t want him to take this away from me, but I had to ask. “Then what do you mean?”

He whined a little and moved his hips towards me. I realised right then how much he wanted this, and found it relieving, yet odd.

“Forget it,” he breathed, and bucked his hips into my hand. My instincts told me to press for answers, but they didn’t control me when I felt like this. Instead, I took his advice, and less than a minute later I was groaning at the feel of his body pulling me in. I never could have guessed that he’d let me do this, let alone beg for it harder. He kissed me hard, bravely stroking his tongue past my sets of sharp teeth to prod at his favourite piercing.

I didn’t mean to let out such animalistic sounds as I got close to my end, but there was something about the needy way he arched his back off the bed and whined for more that drove me completely insane with lust. He pulled my hair and clawed my back, and we came messily together. I saw an entirely new Seokjin as he slumped down into his pillows let his eyes slide closed. I didn’t think the Hunter would ever succumb to taking it, but he went one step further and enjoyed it: begged for it.

Sometime soon, however, I was going to have to find out why he’d used such vague and ambiguous words while he tried to stop me.

~

When I finally left Seokjin’s house, I went straight to Jimin. I’d left it too long, and I wanted him to know about the Hunters. On top of that, it was the full moon soon, and we tended to spend time together so he could keep me calm.

When I found him, he was wandering around in Lupe form, as was I. He whined and nuzzled my neck: a sure-fire sign that he missed me. I nuzzled back, sniffing his scent and the familiar odour of his human. We traveled together to our respective clothes stashes in the woods, and then—in human form—to the usual gathering spot. I hadn’t been there in a while, and I slumped down onto Jimin’s leaf-bed happily.

Finally seeing his human face, I realised how much was on his mind. Before I could even ask, he was telling me how difficult it was getting to be close to his human. Of course—he reached his eighteenth birthday yesterday, and is now mature. If they didn’t bond soon, I’d be surprised.

“Well, if your moaning session about how hard it is to have imprinted is over, I have some news.”

Jimin’s lips sealed for a moment. “Fine. What is it?”

“It… it might be to do with that human, Yoongi. There are masses of Demons in this area recently, and because of it… Demon-Hunters.”

Jimin’s eyebrows disappeared behind his fringe. “L-like actual… Hunters?”

Morbidly, I nodded. “I’ve met one of them…” Jimin’s jaw dropped, but I shook my head. “It’s okay, I’m fine. He doesn’t want to hurt me, or anyone who isn’t bothering humans. He just wants to find out why other Demons are gathering here.”

“You talked to a Demon-Hunter?!”

I frowned. “Yes, Jimin; listen! You should warn your pack. Mine has been laying low since we found out. But…” I sighed heavily. “I found out that the Hunters are suspicious of Yoongi. They want to know why there’s an Angel protecting him.”

“Did you say anything?”

“Of course not,” I said, shaking my head. “But I don’t want to tell Hoseok, because it will only worry him.”

“I guess,” Jimin agreed. “So I should just tell the pack?”

“Yes, and emphasise that they’re not dangerous if not provoked.”

“Are you sure?”

I felt my heart rate pick up at the thought, but I needed to tell Jimin how I really felt about Seokjin. “Jimin-ah… I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.”

~

As usual, I met Hoseok and Jimin in the woods in the morning. Hoseok was quiet, seeming to pay little attention to anything around him. I just casually chatted with Jimin for a while, and we spent some time as Lupe, doing wolfy things.

A few hours passed that way, and the sun was high in the sky when my Lupe senses caught onto something I should not have been able to sense this far out in the woods. I froze in my tracks. Jimin and I shifted at the same time, and I answered his questioning gaze: “Seokjin…”

Jimin’s brows creased. “Here?” he asked in his forever surprising little-boy voice.

“It can’t be,” I hissed, and shifted back into Lupe. I made a mad dash for my clothes stash, almost losing Jimin in my haste. Once dressed in sweats, my Anthrokos nose lead me right to him—it really was Seokjin, out here in the woods. Just as I saw him, about ten metres from me, I saw several others. Jimin and I glanced at each other, our Amber eyes locking as he hid behind trees, out of sight. “Hoseok?” I mouthed to him, and he shrugged. My heart was beating so fast that I worried the Angel might hear it. We both turned to look towards the Hunter and his comrades again, and I caught a glance of their all-black, no-bullshit attire.

The taller of the two was broad-shouldered and wearing a masculine leather jacket to boot. His short black hair was tinted brown at the fringe and spiked up stylishly. His long, slender torso was accentuated by a skin-tight tank and low-riding jeans. He stared at Hoseok while the Angel sent an interrogating glare at Seokjin. The moment I saw him, I recognised him from the club, all that time ago, and it dawned on me that he was ‘Yongguk.’ Junhong’s Yongguk. I didn’t let myself ponder that thought, because there was another Hunter beside him.

The shorter Hunter was barely intimidating in comparison to Yongguk; his round cheeks and plump lips matched the cuteness of his thin, black, almost feminine fitted shirt. His small, slim frame did nothing to dissuade his intense focus, however. He watched the Angel closely, listening to his every word.

If we listened closely, Jimin and I could catch the conversation. Seokjin was talking when I finally began to pay attention.

“I’m glad you sought me out; we can help each other here.”

I had an idea of how Hoseok found out about the Hunters, but now was not the time to scold Jimin.

“But is this really a conversation to have in front of two nosy Werewolves?”

My stomach dropped. Of course, if I could sense Seokjin, he could sense me, as well. He had already proven his spirit’s strength. Looking deliberately guilty, I stepped out from behind the tree. Hoseok turned, and his brow pinched at me for just a moment. He didn’t seem angry: just confused. He turned back to Seokjin.

“Taehyung isn’t going to cause any issues.”

Hoseok’s words were like a compliment, and I slowly began towards them. Seokjin just watched me for a few moments, and then turned back to Hoseok. They discussed things I already knew—the Demon Gatherings, and something about Yoongi—but I saw an opportunity I might never have again, and decided to run with it.

I crept around the side of the small group, and all of the Hunters tensed. The Angel’s nonchalance was the only thing reassuring them. Standing right behind the outermost Hunter, I leant slightly towards him and whispered: “so.” He flinched and flicked his head towards me. Nobody else paid us a glimpse of attention, and I rocked on my heels. “You’re Yongguk.”

The Hunter glared, and his eyebrow rose. He looked away after a moment, his intimidating stare resetting while he focused on the Angel again. 

My chest bubbled with the urge to say something that wasn’t entirely my business, but I argued that it couldn’t do any harm. “Junhong really likes you.”

He didn’t need to be looking at me; I saw his brows shoot up. He turned towards me, a much more vulnerable expression on his handsome face. I just stared back, a smile playing on my lips. 

“You-” he began. “You know that Wolf?” His voice was a barely-audible whisper.

“He’s from my pack.”

“He… he said that?”

“Yeah; he was totally bummed that you were just using him.”

Yongguk’s lips tightened into a hard line. After a few tense moments, he turned back away, refocusing his expression. I figured he was telling himself not to trust me. 

Never trust a Demon.

I slunk closer. “Is there a message you’d like me to deliver to him?” I cooed into his ear, and his eyes clenched shut. There was a slight grimace on his lips when he glanced at me. 

“Just tell him that I’m sorry,” he hissed. “It wasn’t meant to mean anything.”

I held his serious eyes and felt around his aura for dishonesty. Surprisingly, he wasn’t even masking his lie. Even his heart beat faster, proving how bad he was at lying. 

“Okay. He’s just a pup; I’m sure he’ll get over you in no time.” I turned my body away and made to leave. 

Right on cue he turned and grabbed my arm with a quiet but harsh “wait.”

I raised my eyes to his and watched him glance back at his comrades. Still, they hadn’t paid us much if any attention

“Was he really upset?”

I pouted dramatically and nodded slowly. Somehow, he bought my overdone acting. His hand slid from my arm. 

“Would he want to see me?”

Stifling a victorious smile, I put on a thinking face. “I can always ask.”

He held my eyes, a very cute, very uncharacteristic look of concern pinching his brows. 

“No,” he suddenly hissed. “No, forget it.” He turned and marched back towards the others, determined to act like nothing had happened. 

I grinned. That was proof right there that Yongguk felt just as much as Junhong did.


	16. Worse Than I Imagined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

God, this was so not fair. His lips were perfect, and he kissed me willingly and lovingly. His hands came up to rest at the small of my back, and I arched even harder against him. It had been so long since I kissed anyone that I couldn’t even remember if I was doing anything right, but nonetheless, it felt wonderful. The not-so-wonderful part was why he was kissing me; I asked him to. It sucked to think that he probably felt obliged to kiss me, since I asked. Miserable at the thought, yet not even close to ready to give it up, I continued to move his mouth with mine and drown in the luscious wetness of his kiss.

Not in a million years would I guess it would be me that ended it, but something told me I probably shouldn’t force this on him for more than a few minutes. Breathlessly, I turned my head away, my cheek brushing his in my desperation not to break all contact. My forehead dropped to his shoulder, and felt my sweat seep into his shirt. There was nothing I wanted to say, except maybe to apologise. I just rested—panting and taking all of that in—and calmed my violently-thudding heart.

“Was that okay?” Hoseok quietly asked, and I froze for just a second.

Okay? Christ, that was incredible, I wanted to say, but instead, I simply nodded. I figured I would never calm down in this situation, so I made to move away. Hoseok reluctantly let me go, and his hand trailed across any part of my skin that was nearby. I sat across from him again, and his fingers rested on knee. A trail of Goosebumps rose in the wake of his hot touch.

In desperation to change the subject—to distract myself from the fact that I just coerced him to kiss me—I let my mind flick back to the past topic.

“Explain spirit bonds to me.” I dared meet his eyes. Just a hint of the emotional turmoil I felt was evident in his features, and he managed to switch topics easily.

Hoseok’s brow rose slightly. “What about them?”

“Well… I know that they’re made by Demons, and that they’re important, but I don’t really know anything else.”

“Well, a bond begins differently depending on the spirit. Wolves fall for humans just like other humans do, but only with the right person, and it’s a lot more final. Wolves don’t have more than one mate in their lives. If they’re not imprinted, they can do what they want with whomever they wish, but as soon as they imprint, that human is their whole life. In that way, they’re monogamous.

“As for other spirits… Vampires tend to bond with a human whom they have bitten. It’s something to do with the taste of their blood, but I haven’t learnt much about it.”

I nodded, trying desperately to focus on his words and not the gorgeous way in which his lips shaped them. “So, what about Angels?”

“Angels… ah…” I couldn’t hide the surprise from my face at seeing him so hesitant. Usually, information like that flowed effortlessly, excitedly even. “Angels are an exception to the rule. With most bonds, it’s reasonable for the human to accept the spirit. It’s not ‘frowned upon’ in the way it is for Angels.”

“Why is it frowned upon? Because it would make you fall?” Just asking that made my fingers clench in the sheets.

“Exactly.”

I took a deep breath, because I couldn’t let my stormy emotions alert him to how irrationally devastated that made me.

“Angels are bonded to humans for a purpose. We’re not supposed to seal our bonds, because we’re just helpers, in a sense: warriors of the spirit world. Having our love returned, and things like that, isn’t meant for us. Another reason is that it would break our ties with Heaven… our loyalty would lie with our bonded instead... Does that make sense?”

“That’s really awful…” I whispered.

Hoseok breathed a gentle laugh. “To love is almost as wonderful as to be loved. I know not to delusion myself into expecting anything else.”

My mouth hung slightly open, and my tongue felt too thick to shape the words in my mind. “If bonding is basically the same as falling in love, then wouldn’t that mean you’re… you’re in love with me?”

Without so much as a thought, he replied: “of course.” I couldn’t hold my emotions back for a moment longer. I watched as the ache in my chest was mirrored by his expression. “Yoongi,” he sighed, his voice defeated, and his brows pinched up in the middle. “I didn’t mean to hurt you; I’m sorry, I-” He panicked out loud, but I shook my head and stopped him.

“You didn’t, it’s fine… I just…” My eyes drifted closed as I realised I never should have said a thing: never should have even asked. Now, it was damn near impossible not to tell him. “I hate that rule—that you have to love me and not expect anything back—that’s not fair. How can you be okay with that?”

His confusion was clear on his face. Clearly, he hadn’t even considered an alternative. Clearly, also, he hadn’t realised that I was already about as close to in love with him as I would let myself get. What hurt almost as much as the thought of his loneliness was the fact that I would never be able to really act on my feelings. Hoseok was the only person in my life I could never have.

In response to my question, he honestly answered: “what choice do I have?”

Maybe that should be the last time I make him kiss me.

~

The air was not for me. It was too shocking, sudden, frightening, and overwhelming, that he could never continue for long. He could feel my fear, and it made him equally afraid. We stopped—we always stopped—because it was just too daunting. If anything was alarming and terrifying as flying, it was the reality of leaving Jungkook alone in that room, that house, with a Demon. I’d seen what Jimin could become: how terribly strong and fast he was, how his power went to his head, how he could become boisterous at the push of a button. Boisterous, for a Werewolf, was much more than Jungkook could handle.

In his dog form, Jimin—Dooley—was relatively harmless. He was like any other dog, really: playful and loyal and patient. I was afraid of the day he revealed himself. I didn’t want human-Jimin near my brother. Not in a hundred years.

After a long, taxing workout, Hoseok, the Werewolves, and I lingered in the woods. “One day soon,” Hoseok began, while I sat wrapped in his arms, my back against his chest, on the edge of our usual cliff, “Jimin will have to reveal himself to Jungkook.” I grimaced, pretending not to listen to the pair of Werewolves that conversed loudly in the woods nearby. “He’s only a young Wolf, really, but after maturity he’ll be unable to control himself from claiming his mate.”

“Mate?!” I almost shrieked. My eyes widened slightly, but not for long. The sun at twilight was blinding, and wind whipped my hair into my eyes.

“Is that an offensive term?”

“It just…” I swallowed thickly, embarrassed. “It makes him sound like an animal.”

“He is kind of an animal.”

I almost laughed. “I meant Jungkook.” My smile slowly slipped away as I thought about the implications of the conversation. “So… he really has to… has to mate with Jungkook?” I asked, turning my head to the side so that Hoseok could easily hear my low voice.

“Of course… Jimin has to solidify his spirit bond so that Jungkook can’t be imprinted on by any other wolves. But it only happens if Jungkook agrees.”

“But he’s my brother! My sixteen-year-old brother!”

“You dramatise sexual intercourse way beyond its worth.”

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “B-but he could get hurt!”

“Jimin would never do a thing to harm Jungkook,” Hoseok said, and his tone was so honest I had to feel a little better about it. 

I hadn’t thought the Wolves were in hearing-range until Taehyung spoke up. “Except maybe on their first time; Jungkook’s poor virgin ass is gonna cop the brunt of this mutt’s sexual frustra- ow!”

Jimin had suddenly shifted into his Anthro-human-Wolf form and was tackling Taehyung to the ground. 

“I can’t believe this,” I groaned. 

“I’m sorry it worries you,” Hoseok said, and he reached up to brush away the stray hairs of my fringe that lashed at my face in the wind. His fingers on my face sent light tingles across my skin that morphed into stabs in my gut. I dropped my head, embarrassed by how his touch affected me.

“What are you thinking?” His voice was just a whisper with his lips moving against my ear.

If there’s a god, he’s cruel, I grumbled in my mind. After a moment of deep breathing, I answered him, though I didn’t lift my head… not just yet.

“Just… how different things are now… and how different they’ll be again when Jungkook finds out. What will happen when he’s marked and when he bonds?”

“When he’s marked, his aura will take some time to change its colours, but hopefully they will seal their bond before any Demons pay him any attention. Either way, Jimin wouldn’t let another Demon near his human, before or after they bond.”

I wasn’t comforted at all. “So, is it completely out of the question to assume Jungkook might not want to bond with Jimin?”

All shuffling and growling from behind us suddenly ceased. I swallowed, realising Jimin had heard me. I looked up and turned awkwardly to meet the alarming amber of Jimin’s eyes. He was staring at me with a look I’d never seen on his face. Immediately, I turned back around and felt bad. Hoseok’s hand stroked down my arm, and he slid his fingers beside mine.

“I don’t think there’s much Jimin could do if Jungkook rejected him.”

I didn’t want to talk about it with Jimin right there, but I didn’t have to worry about that for long, because I heard Taehyung shout “wait-!” , followed by the unmistakeable sound of a four-legged gait as Jimin left.

“B-but…” I continued, feeling awful for upsetting him, but not so much so that it outweighed my concern. “If they don’t bond, then Jungkook is marked and vulnerable, isn’t he?”

“He’s more vulnerable, but no matter how much he pushes Jimin away, the wolf has imprinted. He’ll never let anybody hurt your brother.”

I blinked slowly, staring out over the city below, the groves of trees between the housing estates, and the ocean in the distance.

Hoseok’s fluffy wings stretched lazily, and I watched as the light danced across his glossy feathers. I leant my head back to rest on his shoulder. I could have fallen asleep there, kept warm enough by his embrace that the wind couldn’t bother me. Even with our legs hanging over a two-hundred-foot-drop, I trusted that nothing bad would happen.

I held tighter onto his hand for a moment, letting my thoughts drift from Jungkook’s relationship to mine. If I didn’t think so hard about it, I could have found an excuse to just let it happen. He would do anything I asked, and wouldn’t let me forget that. That meant I could ask him to be my boyfriend, and he’d agree. I could ask him to sleep with me… my body seized up at the thought, and I shook my head free of such hysterical musings.

“Should we go back?” Hoseok suddenly asked. If the heat spreading through my body was anything to go by, Hoseok must have felt the change in me.

“Please,” I answered in a tremble. He got up, pulling me against him until we were away from the ledge. I met his eyes for a moment, but tore my gaze away when I recognised concern.

So much guilt. I couldn’t do it anymore.

“Just ask me,” I huffed, stopping in my tracks and facing him.

His eyes widened and his head tipped towards me as though he didn’t understand.

“You want to know what’s up with me right now; I can see it. Just ask me. I’ll answer you.”

He stared at me for a few long moments. His expression proved that he could hardly trust that I would actually tell him. That wasn’t surprising, since I’d shunned him more times than not.

“I’m just confused, because you seemed to be concerned about Jungkook, and then you must have been thinking about yourself, or me, because—if I’m not wrong—you’re feeling aroused.”

OH DEAR GOD THIS IS WORSE THAN I IMAGINED—!

“I-” I began, but my throat closed. I had dreamt that he knew how to interpret that feeling; I wasn’t prepared for it to be true. “Okay,” I said, and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes for a moment, faced him fully, and prepared myself to say some embarrassing things. I couldn’t chicken out again. If I just learnt to treat his innocence as though he were a child… no, that wouldn’t work, because he was definitely no child, and I wouldn’t be explaining anything like this to a child anyway. There was no way to make this less awkward.

“Do you want to think while we walk?” he offered.

“Yes.” I swivelled on my heel and marched towards home, my face hot and my palms clammy. Hoseok followed quietly, his footsteps an ominous reminder of the conversation I didn’t want to have when we got home.

~

A message from Jungkook reminded me that he finished his shift soon, and for the first time, I told him he could come home alone. I might lose him to a Demon soon, and I was going to have to learn to give him some leash. It was a little overprotective of me not to let him walk home anyway, since he walked to school on his own. He was the oldest kid I knew who still had his brother escorting him around town.

After a warm shower (during which I wandered how Hoseok got so sweaty, and then after we arrived home, he was fresh and clean again without even changing his clothes) I redressed in loose sweats and arranged something simple for dinner. For a peaceful hour, I forgot all about the impending awkward discussion I’d promised Hoseok. The three of us ate dinner together, the four-legged family-member moping under Jungkook’s chair, and then Jungkook excused himself to work on an assignment. I knew it was really to avoid washing the dishes, but I let him off.

After about fifteen minutes, Jungkook meandered out of his bedroom with his wolf at his heels, and he plonked himself down on the couch beside Hoseok. I was still washing up and I knew damn well the kid hadn’t even looked at his homework. I watched from the kitchen as they chatted.

I washed and cleaned the entire kitchen just to prolong the inevitable. It was nine in the evening before I had run out of procrastination. Hoseok was so patient, just sitting on the couch with Jungkook. He was watching the Maltese news, and apparently understanding it, and I went to sit on an adjacent single couch. I breathed deeply.

Jungkook’s fingers moved lazily in the mass of black fur draped across his lap, paying the Wolf little attention. I wouldn’t have paid it any mind before, but now that I knew the wolf was really Jimin, it made me uncomfortable. I avoided meeting Hoseok’s gaze and feigned an interest in the news I couldn’t understand.

“Get your face out of my junk~!” Jungkook suddenly cooed, and I glanced over and see that it was directed at his Wolf. Then my stomach dropped. I realised the wolf’s muzzle was buried in Jungkook’s crotch, and I could hear his sniffing from here. Hoseok grinned and, to my dismay, looked away as though he was giving them privacy. My entire body trembled with the urge to shout about what was and wasn’t appropriate, but to my brother, Dooley was just a dog.

My fingers dug into my palms and I shot up and marched around the couches and towards my room. I turned and met Hoseok’s eyes, and he leapt up right away. It seemed his patience may have been wearing thin after all.

He closed my bedroom door behind himself. When I sat on my bed, the first thing I did is pull the blankets over my lap, because it was beginning to get cool at night, and not even my sweats kept me warm enough. In the middle of autumn it always began to get cold, but this year was beginning to promise a bitter winter.

Hoseok sat across from me and watched me closely in that almost creepy albeit undeniably affectionate way. “Did you realise that it’s almost the full moon?” he suddenly asked, and his choice of topic took me off guard.

“I think so… why?”

Hoseok glanced at his lap and then back at me. “It’s Jimin’s birthday today…”

It took a few moments for me to associate that with any meaning. “W-wait, Hoseok, you said ‘one day soon.’ You can’t seriously mean-… you mean it’s this full moon?” I tried to keep my voice down, having recently experienced the thinness of these walls. Hoseok just nodded once, and I gaped. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I knew you would overreact.”

I pursed my lips. That was a good argument.

“We’re going to talk about this tomorrow,” I proclaimed. With a huff, I changed the subject. “Are you cold?” I asked, knowing I would be in shorts and a t-shirt, but he shook his head and smiled slightly. “Okay,” I said, mostly to prepare myself. “I’m not exactly sure what I need to say for you to understand everything that you don’t know, so I’m just gonna talk, and you can stop me if you want to ask me anything…”

He nodded once, holding my eyes. Somehow he’d understood my verbal diarrhoea.

“Aahhhh sooo…” my cheeks began to heat up while I thought about what I was going to say. “I know there are a lot of things that you don’t really get about me, or humans in general, and you don’t always get why it’s embarrassing for me to talk about it. Sometimes I can’t even explain why it’s embarrassing. It’s just something I wouldn’t talk about to anyone. I guess the most obvious thing is how… how attracted I am to you.”

My breathing wouldn’t go back to normal, but I managed to control myself enough that I wasn’t hyperventilating just yet. My face, however, felt so cherry red that it would have given the berry a run for its money.

“I’ve spent the last few years living a life that someone my age shouldn’t have to live. I’ve had to be a parent to Jungkook, and his wellbeing is the only thing I’ve had on my mind ever since… ever since we were left alone.” Never had I talked about this. I just realised, right then, that Hoseok was the first person to hear these words from me. “You know damn well how much of a handful he can be, and so the only thing I’ve been able to think about that concerns myself is my study. Before all of this, when I still felt like a kid, I could have thought about the usual things a teenage boy thinks about. I mean, I’ve always liked guys—that was never a hurdle for me—but I wasn’t old enough to really act on my feelings while I still had a chance.”

I stared at the bed, barely realising when I began to choke up. I calmed myself for a few moments. Hoseok shifted slightly, and when I glanced up at him, he was coiled like a spring, just like a dog while it waits eagerly for a command that it knows is coming. I shook my head. “If you hug me, I’ll cry.” He relaxed back onto the bed and let out a low breath. That didn’t comfort him, but he obliged.

“A-anyway…” I barely trusted my voice, but I charged on. “The last thing I’ve thought about in these last few years is myself. I haven’t looked at a guy with any more than appreciation.” I wondered if he could see where this was going. “Hoseok-ah, there’s no arguing that the first time I saw you, I knew you were the most beautiful thing my eyes had ever landed on.”

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to say that. It just felt right. He, on the other hand, seemed very startled by my words.

“Hardly,” he breathed, smiling like I was kidding with him, and then suddenly shifting nervously. “Are you joking?”

I shook my head slowly. Every time I saw a new side of Hoseok, I could have sworn I fell ten times harder. He looked so unsure, almost insecure, and so, so real.

“Th-that doesn’t make any sense,” he stuttered, his voice low. “You’re surrounded by beauty—sunsets and galaxies and all of nature’s creations. This world is so beautiful, and you say I’m…” He just shook his head, baffled and at a loss.

“Every time I saw you I couldn’t stop looking. You constantly and effortlessly stole my attention. Every time I talked to you, I just felt breathless. I couldn’t believe you wanted to spend time with me.” As all of this fell from my lips, he just watched me. His face didn’t change from the stunned, disbelieving mask. “Ahhh… Hoseok, dammit, I have no idea how to explain this to you. Your feelings for me have this definite, believable reason, and mine for you are just… just a stupid, muddled mess, ugh!” I growled and lay back against my headboard. I covered my face with my hands and took a few more slow, deep breaths.

“Actually,” he began, and I just listened, daring not to open my eyes. “It used to be that easy. Now it’s… it’s a lot more muddled. My emotions feel a lot like yours, and I can’t always tell them apart. I feel things now that I definitely didn’t before, and it’s very, very confusing.”

I dropped my hands to the bed and sat back up. For a few long moments we just looked at each other. My stomach churned with uneasiness. I felt hot with embarrassment, and his nervous words only made it all worse. I hadn’t prepared for his nervousness as well.

“What I am most confused about is your embarrassment, and why certain things you feel make you more embarrassed than others.”

“It’s because I… I feel ashamed,” I admitted. “I don’t want to let my body’s attraction to you control me.”

“Does it?”

“Yes. I guess you finally figured out what it feels like for me… since you knew... b-back at the cliff.” Hoseok nodded just slightly. “Well… I hate feeling like that. It’s… you know what it is, right?” He just nodded again, though he seemed slightly unsure of what question he was answering. “It’s just embarrassing. Last night… I don’t know why it was suddenly too much but… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let it get to that. I won’t-… again…”

I couldn’t look at him while I talked about it, but I could imagine his expression.

“Yah,” he said gently. “Why would you apologise? That’s what I’m confused about.”

My jaw clenched and my head rolled back. This was just so frustrating. “I- okay… Look, I was dreaming about you when I felt… that way. I woke up and you were right there and… all I wanted was…” No, I thought. Do not say that. If I told him that I wanted him to get me off, I was afraid I’d have a real-life demonstration of my dream. “I just needed to…” So many words for the same thing and I couldn’t get a single one past my lips. I scratched my head awkwardly. “I just needed to do it.”

I thanked the heavens when he seemed to understand. “Okay,” Hoseok said, dropping his eyes to the bed for a moment. “You haven’t explained why you were embarrassed, though.”

He looked back up at me. I just gaped. There was literally no way to explain this to someone so innocent. He clearly had no reservations about sex whatsoever. “It’s just that… I shouldn’t let desires like that control me. I feel weak and dirty when I think about you like that, especially since you don’t think the same way.”

“I don’t want you to feel weak or dirty, Yoongi-yah… I’ve said this before: there’s nothing wrong with it if it’s what you really feel.”

“Wanting you isn’t going to end well for me!” I suddenly shouted. We fell into a tense silence. I couldn’t pull my gaze from his no matter how much I wanted to. His eyes bore into mine while he tried to understand the emotions tearing through me.

“I don’t understand,” he whispered. “I want to give you everything.” His voice got stronger. “If you want me, in whatever way you’re too embarrassed to tell me about, Yoongi, just say it.”

A violent tremble ran throughout my entire body. My head fell back with a thud against the wood.

The seriousness in his voice dragged my eyes back to his, but that only made it worse. “You hold back like you’re applying human rules that I don’t understand to our relationship. I’m not embarrassed. I’m not judging you. I love you.”

Slowly, disbelievingly, I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear that. “You love me because you have to,” I whispered, hating how it tasted. “And I can’t pretend that love means something that it doesn’t.”

Hoseok wasn’t affected by my harsh words in the way a human would be. He didn’t take it personally. As usual, he approached the problem logically. “Then why do you love me? You said it’s muddled, and that you don’t understand it. Love is love, Yoongi-yah.” His words hit deep, but sank in slowly. I didn’t want to let him affect me so easily.

I watched as he held his hand out, palm up. A dark patch in the shape of a rounded symbol decorated his wrist. I’d noticed it before, but never really looked at it up close. It dawned on me that that it was the only blemish on any of his skin that I’d seen.

“Of course, this mark is what made me care for you,” he began. “It’s the reason I met you, and the reason I’m here with you now. Maybe it’s one of the reasons I love you. I promise you, Yoongi-yah, that it’s not the only reason. If you need to believe that to accept how you feel, I’ll prove it to you. I don’t know what it is yet, but I know there’s more to what I feel for you than what there was before.”

Holding back tears was the greatest achievement of the night. I held his gaze cautiously while my existential crisis raged on the inside. He dropped his hand and softly brushed mine. I glanced down at the contact, and felt him move towards me. He didn’t usually close the distance between us without direct verbal approval, and I looked up to follow his smooth approach with my gaze. He knelt in front of me and reached his hand to my nape. Surprised and delighted, my eyes slid closed.

It turned out I didn’t need to force him to kiss me at all.

~


	17. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

Among the myriad of things I had to note about Yoongi were the things that calmed him down. Were he ever to get uncomfortable around me, I learnt to simply back off. He hated being questioned. Almost right away, he calmed down.

After our discussion, and my impulsive desire to kiss him again, I learnt another way to calm him down. His body slumped against me at the touch of my lips, and the tense, rolling emotions we shared suddenly smoothed out into the even flow of warmth that I knew so well. Reassured, I relaxed.

It was only the second time, but that was enough to conclude that I very much liked kissing. That was a given for anything that made Yoongi happy, really. With this, though, despite it being new and unfamiliar, I liked how it felt. More than anything, I liked what it meant. Regardless of the rules I was supposed to follow, the idea of Yoongi loving me made me ecstatic. The only thing I didn’t like was his uncertainty about it.

I wanted to come up with a way to reassure him, but right at that moment I was too distracted. Kissing him felt wonderful. Yoongi edged towards me, and I stroked my thumb through the hair at his nape. His jaw dropped, and a harsh sigh washed over my lips. I could tell right away that he was going to stop.

“Damn,” he whispered, his slick lips just brushing mine. After a few deep breaths, he huffed a soft laugh. “I thought I was forcing you to kiss me.”

My brows rose. My fingers still played in his hair. “Forcing me?” Yoongi just ‘mmm’ed, his eyes still closed. “I think you’ll find I like it even more than you do.”

As though that was completely ridiculous, he snorted. “I’ll hold you to that.”

~

Training was getting better; Yoongi was learning to trust me instead of freaking out. He found a lot of the exercises boring now, instead of daunting. When we first began, I had been sure it would never get to that point, sure he’d be terrified for the rest of his life. Now, he wasn’t even afraid of the Demons I introduced him to. Sometimes, he was shockingly kind to them: more so than I would like. As long as he could tell the difference between those who would hurt him and those who would not, my job was easier.

The flight exercises still needed a lot of work. Yoongi became a trembling mess prior to even leaving the ground, but finally he began to open his eyes in the air. I could hardly stand his fear as it tore through me, so we always landed after not long at all. Working on his body had wrought such impressive results that I hadn’t anticipated on such a hard journey with his trust. At least, I thought, he was getting better.

Sometimes after we landed, he still wouldn’t let go. He would cling on for dear life, despite having two-feet planted firmly on the earth, and his head would remain buried in my shoulder. Sometimes I just held him until he was ready to come out, and sometimes I would drag him to somewhere and sit.

It was the seventeenth of October, and tomorrow, the moon would be full. Yoongi had said he would talk to me about this today, and I reminded him about it as we walked back through the woods to his house. “Ah, right,” he said, his voice distant. He was a fair way in front of me and facing away, and I jogged a little to catch up. “So it all happens tomorrow?”

It was already dark, and I figured he thought that it would hide his sombre expression. His defeated voice made my brows crease. “Jimin will have trouble holding off until tomorrow,” I said, and tapped his arm. When he looked at me, I pointed up at the moon. “It’s so close to full already. He might need to sleep in the woods tonight.”

“What? How will I explain that to Kookie?”

I thought for a moment. “When ‘Dooley’ misbehaves, you sentence him to time outside, correct?”

I smiled as the allegorical light bulb lit up above Yoongi’s head. I knew he’d find some pleasure in making a scene in front of Jungkook as he kicked the Wolf out to sleep in the cold.

Back at the house, Yoongi checked the time and announced that Jungkook would be home soon. Jimin, who had been lounging in front of the television, groaned. Yoongi’s brow rose and he looked at me. I leant close and whispered in his ear. “Just the smell of Jungkook in this house makes it difficult for him to control himself with the full moon so close.” Yoongi tensed and his eyes widened. “Think of it this way: since he’s mature now, this full moon is like his first ‘heat.’” I didn’t need Yoongi to explain the embarrassment that crashed through our bond. He didn’t like thinking about Jimin together with Jungkook, but there was something else to it that I was surprised I noticed.

He related Jimin’s difficulty to his own self-control predicament.

Before I could say anything else, Yoongi addressed the Wolf. “Jimin, we need to talk.”

~

Without a second’s hesitation, Jimin agreed to disappear for the night. Yoongi ripped up some of his old university notes and jammed them in the trash can, just as Jungkook walked in the door. I held back a smile as I noticed Yoongi suddenly put on his ‘angry’ façade.

“Hey Hyun-g… Yah, what happened?” Jungkook asked, kicking his shoes off with his bright puppy-eyes on his brother.

Yoongi kicked the trash can dramatically as he grumbled: “your stupid dog happened! That was my research!” I could have believed Yoongi if I hadn’t known he was lying.

Jungkook, oblivious to the mistruth, glanced at his Wolf. ‘Dooley’ shrank back against the couch, his ears flat against his head and his tail tucked between his legs.

“Dooley doesn’t chew stuff, Hyung,” Jungkook tried, but Yoongi just scoffed.

“I caught him doing it! And look how guilty he is!”

I met Jungkook’s desperate, sad eyes. “Did he really?” he asked, sounding very upset. I tried not to give into that face, but it was very difficult.

“He made a real mess,” I lied, just looking back at the acting Wolf as he shied from Yoongi’s powerful glare.

“Dooley~” Jungkook whined, and he slumped towards his pet. He crouched down, and the massive black head pressed into the floor. I almost winced as Jimin filled the room with the unmissable fragrance of his pheromones. The poor kid was drowning in his imprinted human’s smell, and this must have been very difficult.

“He’s going outside,” Yoongi declared, and Jungkook, as usual, protested.

“No!” he complained, and bent down to drag the unwilling beast against him. Jimin’s claws scraped across the floor and he suddenly yelped, dashing away from his human to hide under the kitchen table. I knew right away that that hadn’t been an act. “Yah…” Jungkook breathed. He stared at his Wolf, heartbreak making his eyes shimmer like diamonds.

“He knows what he did,” Yoongi growled. He stormed to the front door and swung it open. “OUT!” he shouted, and the Wolf sprung to attention. He dashed outside and Jungkook slumped onto the floor with another whine.

“You’re so mean to him!”

“He’s an adult now, Jungkook. You can’t let him do everything he wants.”

The double-meaning behind Yoongi’s words hung heavily between us, but flew right over Jungkook’s head. It seemed like the younger gave in too easily as he stormed away into his bedroom; he usually put up much more of a fight. Yoongi let out an exasperated breath, his shoulders slumping, and we both jumped when Jungkook’s door slammed shut.

“It worked,” I offered, and Yoongi just nodded.

After a few moments of heavy silence, he looked up towards the kitchen and mumbled: “I have to make dinner.”

A gentle tug from somewhere deep caught my attention, and I knew right away what it meant. My archangel was here. “I need to go meet a friend, Yoongi-yah,” I began, and my human just glanced up at me.

“Okay.” When he was busy preparing food again, I forced myself to just go. I wanted to see him smile, but I figured that wasn’t likely for a while. Shouting at Jimin may have been amusing for him, but I’d overlooked how much he would hate to make his brother upset.

~

In the woods just south of the house, Dujun’s shimmering wings outlined his regal figure in the darkness. I was relieved to see him; I had so many questions. He smiled when I approached, and reached out to touch the thin fabric of the tank-top I was wearing.

“You’re even beginning to dress like them,” he stated lightly, and we both smiled.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked brightly, but almost suddenly his mood darkened. I watched his face change as he considered his words.

“Hoseok, son, it might be nothing, but…” After a few moments, he locked eyes with me. “Let’s walk.”

Dujun asked about Yoongi. He asked about how many spirits he’d met, and especially how many Demons. After that, he seemed curious about our relationship: me as his guardian and he as my charge. It didn’t take much for me to suspect the direction of questions. Whatever confusing changes I’d felt, he knew about them.

“You look like you know why I’m asking,” Dujun observed. Nervously, as though I knew I was in trouble, I nodded. My eyes were downcast, and I felt my cheeks heat up. “If I touch your aura, will I feel your mark?”

I almost trembled. Like all bonded Angels, my bond is the most prominent thing about my spirit. It sticks out like nothing else. The mark of my Maker is its seal, manifested on my skin as a reminder. Were the bond to change, the seal would become loose and weak. Right now I feared that he had noticed how much the bond had changed, and, therefore, how weak the seal had become.

“I-it’s there still,” I assured him. “But…”

Dujun stopped walking and turned to face me. In my life so far, I had never felt such fear of authority. “But?”

“I’m sorry…” After a lengthy silence, Dujun sighed.

“Don’t apologise; just talk to me. What has changed?”

“So much,” I breathed, feeling like I needed to finally talk about this to someone who might understand. “I feel what he feels so strongly, and sometimes I’m not even sure if it’s him or me. I used to be able to understand what I felt so clearly, but now everything I feel is… it’s as though… I-I feel like I’m becoming… human.”

“Hoseok,” the archangel began, “that’s not possible. Angels cannot become human; that’s not what this is.”

“Then…”

“We don’t teach this, because it isn’t supposed to happen—you know that. Angels do not fall from Heaven for humans.”

“Teach… what?”

Dujun’s stare was intense, but I was too determined to back down. “Do you know what would happen if you sealed your bond with that boy?”

My brows pinched. “I know I would fall… I know I would no longer be able to enter Heaven or the spirit world at all.”

“You’d be cut off,” Dujun added. “All of your access to Heaven and the spirit world, your life as a guardian and a soldier of the Maker would be forfeit.” He spoke so strongly, like he preached such notorious heresy that it was supposed to intimidate me. It did intimidate me. I was loyal, and terrified of the idea of falling. “Hoseok, despite what you might think, falling won’t protect your human. If you really want to keep him safe, which I know you do, you’ll maintain your place in Heaven. Only with the Maker’s hand guiding you can you truly protect him.”

A long, heavy silence hung between us.

“Hoseok, you’re falling. I can feel you drifting away from us. You can feel what the boy feels because, as the bond gets stronger, he’s allowing you to feel more. The more you feel, the weaker you’ll be to others. Human emotions weren’t meant for Angels. Don’t let one mortal destroy you. This might seem like the most difficult thing you will ever have to do, but it isn’t. You can say no to him. Don’t fall from Heaven for a human.”

~

I didn’t go back to the house right away after the archangel left. I didn’t feel like I could face Yoongi. I walked through the forest for a while, my hands shaking until I wrapped my arms around myself. Just the thought of being useless as a protector to Yoongi was terrifying, more so than the thought of never returning to Heaven. I wasn’t sure if there was anything that terrified me more than the thought of something happening to him.

“Hoseok-ah,” I heard, and my head snapped up. Jimin was standing, totally naked and cold-looking, though his pose was entirely stoic. “Why aren’t you in the house?”

“I had a visit from the Archangel,” I mumbled, and I walked towards him. His golden eyes followed me. “Why aren’t you dressed? It’s freezing out.”

“I was Lupe, but I wanted to talk to you.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Never mind me; what did the big man have to say?”

I sighed. My eyes darted away. “He basically threatened me.” His expression must have changed, but I didn’t check.

Incredulously, he gasped “For what?!”

“He can tell my bond with Yoongi is changing. My loyalty is shifting, Jimin… I wouldn’t choose Heaven over Yoongi anymore. Not for anything.”

“That’s…” Jimin sighed and I looked at him. “…morbidly cute.”

I tried not to smile. “It’s terrifying. Everything is changing, and Yoongi hasn’t even sealed the bond. I don’t even think he knows what he’s doing to me.”

“You’re telling me. Tomorrow I find out if…” Jimin didn’t continue. Never before had I noticed him doubt that Jungkook would return his affections.

“Don’t take what Yoongi said to heart, Jimin-ah. He’s just afraid for his brother.”

“I know,” Jimin mumbled, and he rubbed his arms.

“You need to get back down on all fours or put some clothes on before you freeze,” I ordered.

“Wait… I have something I need to tell you.”

“Hurry, then,” I urged.

“Okay… But Taehyung told me not to tell you, so don’t tell him.”

My brows pinched. He paused, and then continued.

“S-so, he said there are lots of Demons gathering in this area recently, and because of that, there are Demon-Hunters here, and one of the Demon-Hunters screwed him and he thinks he imprinted on the Hunter, but anyway, he went through the Demon-Hunter’s stuff, and he found out… well… he thinks the Demons are gathering here because of Yoongi.”

I stared. I simply stared open-mouthed at the Wolf, because that all seemed much too fanciful to be true.

“Demon-Hunters? Here?”

Jimin just nodded, his breath leaving him in a way that indicated how heavy a burden he had been carrying.

“And you say it might be because of Yoongi?”

“I’m not sure… I don’t think the Hunters are sure either. I just know that that’s what Taehyung saw in the Hunter’s journal.”

“How did he get a hold of the journal? Wait, did you say he imprinted?”

“He thinks he did… b-but Hoseok, why might Demons be after Yoongi?”

I just shook my head, my heart in my mouth. “It might be to do with his family.” Either way, I was highly alarmed. “I need to talk to that Hunter.”

“B-but how? You can’t tell Taehyung I told you!”

I frowned. “If I see him, and if he’s as fond of this Hunter as you say, I’ll be able to detect the Hunter on him. Maybe I can find him on my own.”

Jimin’s shoulders sagged with relief.

I frowned into the darkness for a moment. “Go get warm,” I demanded.

“Okay. Thanks for listening,” he said, and I wished him goodnight.

I watched as the olive-skinned boy dropped towards the ground and changed in the blink of an eye. The wolf glanced back at me before trotting away, further into the dark thicket. For a while I watched him, and for even longer I continued to wander. After a while, I hesitantly headed home.

Shock burst through me as I opened the front door, quickly replaced by relief. The owner of such sudden emotions just stared at me from the couch.

“Oh, Hoseok-ah; you’re back.”

“You say that so casually, as though you think I can’t feel you.”

From the next emotion he sent me, I knew his cheeks were about to flush pink. I smiled as I walked towards him.

“Who did you have to meet?” he asked, and right on cue, his cheeks were dusted rose.

“My Archangel,” I almost whispered. I didn’t want to talk about Dujun, or anything he’d said to me, so I moved on. “And then I met Jimin. He’s really nervous about tomorrow now.” Of course, I didn’t mention the other thing Jimin had told me.

Yoongi looked away from me as I sat down beside him. “I should apologise. I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“I told him that.”

Yoongi gave me a thankful look, and put his hand on mine where it rested on my lap. He looked like he was about to thank me, but he tensed and grabbed onto my hand. “Shit, you’re freezing!”

“I’m okay, actua-”

“Put something on! Why would you go outside in that cold for so long in just a wife-beater?” I watched in awe as he panicked and fussed, getting up to reach for the first jacket he could find, and I couldn’t help but smile. Knowing it would make him relax, I lifted my arms while he dragged a fleecy jumper over my head. “There,” he said, and rubbed my arms for a few seconds. “God, I can feel how cold you are even through this! Don’t go out without wearing something in the future…”

Partly because I wanted to—and partly to see if it would work in this situation—I pulled him against me and cradled his face in my hands. It worked. He let me kiss him, and after his initial shock, melted against me. Sitting astride my legs on the couch, he kissed me slowly. His back arched until his entire torso pressed to mine, and his fingers bunched in the jumper he’d just forced on me. Warmth turned into heat inside him and gradually inside me, and it didn’t disappear when he pulled away.

With his eyes still closed, he mumbled: “You’re going to destroy me, Jung Hoseok.”

Before letting those words upset me, I considered his emotional state. There was nothing negative in his spirit, or his expression, and he still clung to me—still arched against me. I didn’t react, except to slide my hands down from his face to his shoulders. He rested his forehead against mine.

“Jungkook barely ate tonight after I told him Dooley was staying out all night.” Yoongi’s voice was low and sad.

“He’ll get up and eat later; he always does,” I reassured, but it made Yoongi pull back and wrinkle his nose.

“Really?”

“Yes,” I said and grinned. “Sometimes, after you’re already asleep, he comes into the study and reads with me.”

Yoongi’s brows pinched. “Hoseok, he needs to sleep. Don’t let him do that.”

After a moment, I mumbled “Okay… sorry.”

Yoongi stared at me with a reserved expression. “Please stop pouting at me,” he begged. “I can’t have you and Jungkook manipulating me with your faces.”

~


	18. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~~~

In the morning, I got up before Jungkook, just to make sure he didn’t go outside and attempt to smother the unsuspecting Werewolf. I managed to get Jungkook off to school only a few minutes after I let the dog back in, and Jimin thanked me once he changed back to human form. He borrowed Hoseok’s pants, because apparently he couldn’t bear to be so close to Jungkook’s smell.

I had to go to uni in the morning, so Hoseok and Jimin evacuated the house to spend some time with Taehyung, apparently. Hoseok was edgy when he told me what he’d be doing, but I figured that if he was lying for some reason, it would have to be a good one. I hadn’t seen the orange-haired Werewolf in a while, apart from seeing him with Jimin for a moment at the cliff, and I briefly wondered what he’d been up to. Maybe that’s what this was about. Maybe it was simply none of my business.

After class, I hurried home. I had no reason to hurry really, except that I was anxious. I didn’t want that night to happen at all, ever. The house was cold and dark when I unlocked the front door and walked inside. Glancing around for a few moments, I realised how seriously lonely this place had been before Jungkook adopted Dooley, and before Hoseok had moved in.

I spent the afternoon watching re-runs of American shows that I couldn’t really understand, mostly for something to do to accompany my emotional eating. By the time Hoseok and Jimin arrived, I felt like I should have stopped eating about four cream-cheese-and-potato-chip-sandwiches ago, but I leapt up anyway.

Hoseok walked right up to me with a concerned look on his face. I raised my hands to reassure him.

“If you can feel an entire Spring Break’s worth of regret coursing through me right now, don’t worry; I just overate.”

Hoseok just shook his head, and his expression became less troubled. “I was just worried about you for tonight. Are you okay?” His hand came up to touch my neck and I suppressed a shudder.

I sighed. “I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

Hoseok pursed his lips and pressed his forehead to mine.

“He comes home around five today, right?” Jimin asked, and I hesitantly pulled away from my Angel.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Barely half an hour later, Jungkook messaged me, claiming his head was hurting. I knew he wouldn’t bother telling me if it wasn’t serious, and if Hoseok’s information about him not sleeping that much was to go by, I wasn’t surprised he was getting headaches.

“Jimin,” I said, and he looked towards me from his tense seat on the couch. He moved very stiffly, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. “Jungkook will be home soon.”

“Soon?! It’s only three!”

“Calm down,” I grumbled. “He’s not feeling well and needs to rest.”

Jimin looked suddenly concerned, and regretted his snappy answer. “It’s still so early… I think I should go…”

“You can’t be gone when he comes back,” I warned.

“I can’t stay! Hyung, I can’t be here… not until tonight. Please.”

“So you want us to tell him?”

All the while, Hoseok quietly watched our exchange, and finally decided to put his two cents in. “Maybe it would be better for us to explain. When Jimin is near him tonight, I don’t think there will be much time for talking.”

I grimaced. If Hoseok was so damn innocent, why was he so sure about that?

“That’s true,” Jimin said, his cheeks darkening. “I don’t like to think I’ll be completely uncontrollable, but it’ll be better if he knows something at least.”

I just sighed. Talking about this like it was really happening just made it so much more real. I was not at all ready to give my brother to him.

~

Jungkook came home before four, and I hated talking to him about it. Because of the moment in my room talking to him about Jimin, he was marked. I couldn’t even stay in the room when Hoseok began to talk about sex. I stormed out, leaving them to finish off the conversation alone. In the kitchen—as far from my bedroom as possible—I leant against the counter and tried to get myself together.

Remembering his headache, I began to make Jungkook an aspirin to drink before I sent him to bed. They finally surfaced, and my brother was on smiling terms with the Angel. My heart throbbed—that boy had always been stronger than me. It occurred to me just then that this wasn’t going to tear Jungkook apart in the way I had envisioned. It wasn’t going to terrify or scar him. He loved challenges and adventures and danger. This was going to be a big hurdle for him, but one he was going to learn from. I glanced at Hoseok as I felt all of this build up, and realised he could feel it too.

“Kookie-yah~” I called, and offered him the fizzy drink. When he disappeared to bed, I went to sit with Hoseok in the living room.

“You’re shaking,” the Angel whispered. I hadn’t noticed. I let him take my hands. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“I know,” I sighed. “He’s not a coward like me. He’s strong.”

“You’re not a coward, Yoongi.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

Hoseok smiled and pressed his nose against my temple. “I’m not lying. You fear for Jungkook more than yourself; that’s noble. That’s just love.” My brow pinched, and my eyes clenched shut. He continued, however, which made it worse. “I’d rather anything else than something happening to you.”

“Please-…” I wanted to tell him not to talk about me like that. I couldn’t stand it when he told me he loved me, and this was no different.

Hoseok tilted his head, and I opened my eyes to see him watching me, waiting for me to continue. I shook my head.

“What won’t you tell me this time?” he begged.

“I just don’t want to talk about us right now, okay?”

He nodded, though he didn’t seem at all reassured.

“When Jimin is here with Jungkook, we should leave.”

“What?” I gasped. “Leave them here alone?”

“Yes, unless you’d rather sit here and hear them. You’ll only worry more.”

Worrying is not what I was averted to when he mentioned ‘hearing’ them. I gulped.

“I don’t know if I can just leave them alone here…”

“Just for the night, Yoongi-yah…”

I didn’t agree verbally, but I went with him when he told me to pack some clothes and belongings in a bag.

~

It was late when Jimin scratched at the door. I went to let him in, and he laid down right at my feet. Hoseok spoke up when I just stared at him.

“He’s submitting. He knows you’re not comfortable with what he plans to do tonight. He just wants to show you that he knows you’re the boss.”

My throat felt thick when I swallowed. I bent down and looked the Wolf in his golden eyes. I couldn’t help it; I patted him. I stood up and let him inside, and then went to the fridge for more comfort food. After I stood by myself in the kitchen devouring things I’d regret for at least an hour, the wolf suddenly whined. Immediately following that, Jungkook’s door opened. I marched towards the living room where Hoseok and the Wolf were, but there was nothing I could do. I just stood beside the couch, fizzing with the need to do something.

“Come on,” Hoseok said, and I jumped when he tapped my arm.

“N-no, I’m not leaving them here alone,” I snapped. The look Hoseok gave me as he stood meant so much. He hadn’t given me a stern expression many times in the past, but I knew right away why he decided now was a good time. I sighed and gave in, getting up to fetch my packed bag.

Before we left, I managed to catch Jungkook’s gaze. He looked worried, matching my expression. I tore my eyes away. He was going to be fine. As long as I chanted that for the rest of the night, I was sure I’d be fine as well.

~

I did ask once where we were going, and Hoseok just said to trust him. I did, and I barely noticed where we were walking while I lost myself in pointless panic for my brother. When we finally entered a building, I snapped back to the present. Glancing around, I took in the simple, well-designed interior of a hotel lobby. My brow rose nonchalantly while I walked behind Hoseok.

At the counter, I waited for an awkward encounter between socially-inadequate Hoseok and the polite desk-attendant, but instead, she simply smiled brightly at him and handed him a key-card on a lanyard. “Have a good evening, Sir,” she said, and then glanced at me with an even bigger, even friendlier smile. I mustered up a very fake smile as I walked away, and turned back to Hoseok’s broad shoulders as he made his way to the elevator.

When we stepped inside the luxuriously huge, mirror-walled elevator, I was glad we were alone. The doors drifted closed when Hoseok tapped his card on the sensor, then he looked at me.

“What kind of Angel magic did you use on her?” I asked before he could say anything. (Or not say anything, and just stare at me like that, which I wouldn’t have put past him).

I met his gaze when he just smiled. The way he looked at me was lethal for my sense of control. His smile was dripping with affection, as usual, but it was somehow different now. “The room we’re going to is the safe-haven for Angels in this area.”

“Safe-haven?” I repeated. “Why haven’t you told me about this before?”

“I never needed it… I mean, I don’t think we need it now, I just… I want to talk to you where I know nobody is listening.”

My eyes tore away from his and I focused on the numbers as they climbed away from the ground floor. Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven: we were a long way up. Finally, at thirty-four, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. With a quick glance at the buttons as I began to follow the Angel out, I noticed ‘34’ was the top button. My eyes widened as I stepped out of the elevator and towards a solo door.

“Is this the penthouse?”

“If by that you mean the top floor, yes, it is,” Hoseok answered, and he swiped his card across the door sensor.

“Geez, remind me to become an Angel one day.”

Hoseok snorted. I gaped at him. That was unexpected and adorable. I gaped even wider at the room as we entered. An entire wall, facing out over the city, was made of glass. The view stretched out for miles; I could have sworn I had never been this high up.

“I hope the height doesn’t bother you,” Hoseok called back to me, since he had walked all the way into the room and I was still at the door.

“N-no, it’s fine,” I assured him. I was just shocked. I walked towards the glass, absently dropping my backpack in the middle of the floor as I stared. Hoseok followed me to the glass doors and stood rather close. It was cool inside and I wanted to put something else on, or maybe just have a hot shower. Hoseok’s closeness was a promise of warmth, but he seemed distant, so I didn’t lean into him like I was tempted to.

“What makes this room safe?” I asked, not turning to look at him, but gliding my eyes over the city: the hundreds—thousands—of buildings and homes I could see as well as the green patches of nature. The view stretched right out to the ocean, and it reminded me of the cliff behind my suburb.

“A ward. Like a shield, I suppose. I’m unable to detect the auras of other spirits in this area or outside it, and the same goes for them and myself. Anyone who might be watching me… can’t watch me here.”

I swallowed thickly, and after a long hesitation, I turned towards him. “Who might be watching you?”

“That’s… what I wanted to talk to you about.”

His expression was concerned, to say the least. I didn’t want to let it bother me, but I couldn’t help it. Hoseok was supposed to be the controlled, confident one, and he didn’t usually worry about anything beyond my feelings. A threat to my guardian angel felt like a direct threat to me.

After a deep breath, Hoseok turned away from me and walked to one of the puffy, dark-leather couches. I just watched when he slumped down onto it.

“So… remember when I said that now… there’s more to what I feel for you than what there was before?”

My chest began to seize up, but I nodded slowly.

“Ah… I talked to my Archangel.”

“That’s who you met earlier?”

He nodded and continued, despite his hesitance. “He came because… he can feel it too. My ties to Heaven are weakening.” He held my eyes, and I recognised true fear in his innocent, mocha orbs. “They don’t like that at all.”

“Why are your…” I felt my stomach drop at the realisation. “You’re falling.”

Hoseok just held my eyes; he looked as guilty as I felt. “I wasn’t sure before if that’s what it was. I knew my bond with you was supposed to strengthen, but it’s beyond that now. It’s… it’s breaking Heaven’s hold on me.”

“But how? I thought that could only happen if we… if we actually…”

He seemed to know what I meant, and he shook his head. “If only it were that black and white. My side of the bond has been sealed from the beginning. What makes your side seal is just a decision, as in, if you’ve decided to bond with me or not. Wolves seal their bonds through mating, but that’s a tradition. The human still has to agree on the bond, and really love the spirit back. If… if you love me, Yoongi… If you wanted me to bond with you, the bond would eventually seal on its own.”

The room felt even cooler now, and I desperately wanted to seek out warmth.

Hoseok’s hands came up to rub at his arms. “You’re cold,” he stated, and then dropped his eyes. “I can barely tell if it’s me or you these days…”

“I thought you could only feel my emotions.”

Hoseok nodded, still not looking at me. “Before, that was the case.”

I sighed and turned away. I needed to stop talking about this for a while. I needed to have a hot shower.

“I’m going to wash up,” I said, but it came out as a whisper. I just left, unable to look at him. Sadness built up in my chest, clouding any hope for peace I may have had. I had a long, steamy shower, ignoring the huge hot-tub in the corner of the even-huger bathroom, and took advantage of water I didn’t have to pay for. I even sat down for a while, soaking up the heat like I depended on it to live.

Hoseok never showered, I half-heartedly mused, and I pitied him for missing out. He never seemed to need to, so why would he? I sighed heavily and decided to end this heavenly experience before I fell asleep. If I was going to sit and think about Hoseok when he wasn’t even in the room, I may as well actually be with him.

From the moment I learnt that I could never have him without ruining his life, it ached, and I didn’t think that guilty pain would ever go away. It was even worse now, because the way I felt about him changed everything. My feelings were written right there in the way Heaven responded to his bond with me. Contrary to what I thought, love isn’t just some invisible force that you have to experience to understand. My feelings for the Angel had deep, real consequences, and affected everything about his future. If that wasn’t proof of how I felt, nothing would be. I couldn’t avoid it now.

After drying, I realised I had left my backpack in the main room. With yet another heavy sigh, I wrapped my towel around my waist and left my steamy habitat for the huge, cold living area of the penthouse. The bedroom and living rooms weren’t really distinguished from each other; an extravagantly oversized bed stood on a raised platform against the far wall, adjacent to the bathroom, and the living room was barely a different space. If you stepped down into the living area, there was a huge television and a pair of three-seater couches. A small coffee table was decorated with a pretty cloth and a small vase of flowers. If I wasn’t struggling emotionally, I might have appreciated everything else in the penthouse.

Hoseok met my eyes when I walked towards my backpack. I looked at my bag as I bent to pick it up, but did a double-take on the Angel to check I hadn’t imagined his eyes dragging downwards. I hadn’t. I stood up slowly, holding the strap of my bag, and watched as his eyes practically devoured my bared skin. I suddenly felt very exposed. It didn’t seem at all possible for him to take an interest in my body in the way I wanted; he had never seemed to want anything but closeness, and it was always in a very placid, affectionate, G-rated way. I swallowed the lump in my throat as his eyes crawled down and back up across my skin.

My fingers curled at my sides, because these were the exact feelings that I could not allow. Most agonising was the fact that he was fuelling it now, throwing oil at the fire that was my desire. He can’t have looked at me like that and not known what it would do to me. When his eyes met mine I knew right away that he felt every bit of the heat that swirled around inside me. My chest shuddered when I took in a deep breath.

Hoseok’s eyes turned, very mechanically as though forced, back towards the television. I only just noticed it was on and playing popular American music videos. The flashing colours caught my eyes for a moment, but even an earthquake could barely shake me at that moment.

“You shouldn’t feel so guilty,” Hoseok whispered. My entire being ached at his words, and my body was so, so confused.

“How can I not feel guilty?” I rasped in an embarrassingly emotional voice.

“I told you already that this is my mistake.”

“Fuck that,” I growled. He still didn’t look at me. I let out an irate ‘urgh,’ as I stormed towards the bed. I tore my bag open and pulled underwear and sweats on under the towel. After throwing the towel away somewhere, I marched back towards Hoseok. “How can what I feel be your fault? You didn’t make me fall for you Hoseok. That couldn’t ever be your fault.”

His brows twitched like he wasn’t sure if he should be frowning or looking sad.

“I-if…” I took a few deep breaths before my voice broke even further. “If this continues, you’ll fall, won’t you? And it’ll be my fault. That can’t happen. Not because of me.”

“It’s not as bad as you think, Yoongi.”

“What?! How can… Hoseok, do you even know what you’re saying?”

“You’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re saying.”

I had no argument for that. His strict tone made me quieten. I watched cautiously as he stood and walked towards me. On the top step, he was right in my face, just a few inches taller, but he felt so much bigger.

“Remember when I said I don’t know what happens when an Angel falls?” he asked. I nodded, and after a deep breath, he looked me in the eyes and said “I lied.”


	19. Colours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

“I lied.”

Yoongi blinked and stared, and I felt almost too guilty to hold his eyes. I sighed and walked past him to the bed. Removing my shoes gave me something with which to busy my hands and distract my eyes so that I didn’t have to look at him

“I know why the law against bonding was put in place.” His silence made me go on. “I’m young, for an Angel. I could live for many thousands of your years. When I’ve completed my assignment of protecting your mortal life, I will return to heaven to be reassigned.” As I finished, I glanced up at him. The way he nodded then was reluctant, and his slow-burning warmth suddenly shifted until I could tell I had upset him even more. “If I were to fall… for you… I would become almost mortal. Heaven would lose control over an Angel, which I’m sure they’d prefer didn’t happen.”

Yoongi seemed sadder and sadder the more I said, but I couldn’t wait to tell him the next part. 

“But Yoongi-yah, if I bonded with you in that way, you would be completely protected from Demons. It is a law, agreed to by Lilith herself, that an Angel’s bonded human is sacred. You could never be bothered by Demons of any kind for the rest of… the rest of your life.”

“My life,” Yoongi said, his voice rolling with emotion. “So when I die, you just live on?” 

I didn’t want to answer—that wasn’t the point—but I felt obliged. It hurt to think, but he was right. “Of course… What choice do I have?” At that point, I couldn’t be sure if I was convincing him or myself.

“I want to be with you for your life… I couldn’t bear to let you fall for me if you would only live on for thousands of years after I die! Hoseok, you can’t do that to yourself!” 

I hushed him, plagued by the strength of his emotion, and continually baffled by humans and their insistence on shouting. I didn’t want to think about what life might be like after his had reached its end.

“Yoongi-yah,” I cooed, kicking my shoes off. “I’ve loved you from the moment we were bonded. That will never change.” His reaction to that overwhelmed us both for a moment, and my fists clenched in the thick blanket under my hands. 

“I still can’t do this,” he whispered, turning his face away from me. I could tell he was lying; he wanted to be with me. The fact that he was afraid to be the cause of me falling, though… it only made us both miserable. I was more than willing to lose my wings for love. I was determined.

“Come sit down,” I said gently, because I hated how he stood there alone. He was aching, and I wished I knew how to persuade him that this was not about my wings; this was about his life. Finally, he turned and sat beside me. “Can you hear me out?”

“If you’re going to try to convince me, Hoseok, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Please.”

His frown faltered. “What could make you want to do this to yourself?”

“That’s what I want to explain.” After a deep breath, Yoongi slumped dejectedly. “Get warm first,” I ordered, and he glanced behind him.

“Wait, is this the only bed?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I don’t sleep, remember?”

He swallowed and nodded. I watched as he crawled towards the pillows and pulled the blankets back. I really did like seeing him shirtless—his body was beautifully shaped and his skin looked pale, smooth, and soft. I knew it made him uncomfortable when I looked at him so much, so I dropped my eyes as he snuggled into the covers. I felt it tingle across my skin as he warmed up, and it felt wonderful.

I pushed my luck and crawled up to lie beside him, outside the covers, propped up on my crossed arms. He just watched, cautious but tolerant. I felt his hesitance at being close to me, but he didn’t object.

“If I fall asleep during your self-sacrificial lecture, don’t take it personally.”

I smiled slightly, glad he could find it in himself to joke, however dryly. After a deep breath, I directed my eyes at the pillow under my arms.

“Yoongi, I know you value my life the way it is, and my place in Heaven, and I appreciate that, but I want you to know that none of that will matter to me if anything happens to you.” I turned my head to meet his eyes. I couldn’t avoid the feel of his emotions, squeezing at both of us in a way I’d gotten used to these last few hours. “I don’t want you to feel guilty for that. It’s how I feel. I need you to understand that you’re not safe like this. It’s not enough that I stay with you and protect you anymore. I might not be enough soon.”

“Why soon? Why anymore? What’s happened?”

With a heavy sigh, I decided I had to tell him. “Yoongi, I met a group of Demon-Hunters today.” His brows twitched. “We concluded that… the bounty on your parents… It extends to you.” It hurt to know that the utter terror spreading across his features was caused by me. I had to fix this. “Yoongi, I told you, I can protect you; there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“H-h-how could I not be afraid? They killed my parents!”

“Shhh,” I hushed, moving closer, but stopping myself before I touched him. He was so tense that I could feel how likely it was the he might leap up at any time. “I promise I can protect you if you let me.”

“Let you what, seal the bond? Hoseok, I already said-”

“I can keep you safe.” I did not mean for that to come out so desperate, but I felt like I was losing him.

“You can’t put me before yourself, dammit!” The way he pushed the covers back and half-sat-up made me cringe back a little. I hated when he felt like he needed to shout. “Hoseok, you have so much to live for, and in just a fraction of your incredibly important life, I’ll be gone. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see why it’s pointless for you to sacrifice yourself for me? Heaven needs you, and so many others in the future will, too!”

I was glad the bond didn’t work both ways, because I didn’t need him to feel how much that had hurt. It wasn’t really anything he said that hurt, but his nonchalance towards the thought of letting me move on from him, and live after he was gone. I hadn’t wanted to think about it before, and I didn’t now, either.

“Yoongi.” I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried not to get too emotional. There was so much going on in my mind and my heart, and I could barely stay calm. “My mission, right now, is to keep you safe. I don’t know if I can do that by myself when the threat is this high.”

“Hang on, are you trying to stay faithful to Heaven or not? Doesn’t bonding with me completely void that?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “I can’t figure out what your argument is for and against.”

“For your life,” he said, his voice strong, “and against the pointless notion of you throwing it away.”

“It’s not pointless.” Once again, I didn’t mean to lower myself to an almost whining tone.

“Hoseok-ah!” He whined right back, almost scolding. “How could you value my life so highly? Forget the mission!”

I filled my lungs and stared at him. I didn’t need to answer that question; his life was the one thing I valued more than anything.

“Do you love me?”

The question chipped away at some of his immediate frustration, and his glare faltered. When he didn’t answer me, I continued. “Right now, you’re putting me first. You’re putting aside the consequences that you might face because you don’t want something to happen to me.”

After a moment of hesitance, he covered his deadpan with another frown. “Don’t turn this around on me.”

I knew he saw my logic, and his weak attempt at fighting it proved that his resolve was slipping. I pushed myself up on my arms and leant towards him. He held his ground, staring back, until I asked again, slower and stronger this time: “do you love me?”

I felt his stomach sink, and watched his expression change until his lips trembled and his eyes began to glitter. I almost regretted it. That was until he pursed his lips and nodded. The action made tears streak symmetrically down his cheeks. I crumbled.

“Don’t cry,” I begged, and pressed my forehead against his. “Don’t you see? I need to keep you safe. I need to. I love you so much. Please, Yoongi.”

“God damn it,” he choked as he tried not to sob. He clenched his teeth, aching enough for both of us, and cried soundlessly for a few painful moments. “Why does this have t-to be so hard,” he sobbed, and then sniffed loudly. I wiped his tears, unsure of what else to do.

“It doesn’t, Yoongi. Please… please consider it. I’m so afraid for you. You’re the only thing that matters to me. Please.”

“S-s-top begging me,” he said, his chest shuddering. I knew he was beginning to calm down, and I hoped I was right in assuming he was also, finally, beginning to reconsider. He lifted his hand and gently held me at my nape. He breathed deeply and slowly, just resting his forehead against mine with his eyes softly closed. Carefully, I moved closer to him, lying so close that my legs touched his with just the covers between.

“I wish I didn’t hurt you like this,” I breathed, and he shook his head.

“You shouldn’t think it’s your fault. You’re probably the only reason I’m still alive right now.” I wanted to tell him that was ridiculous, but he continued. “I’m already in too deep, Hoseok-ah… even if I tried not to, I’m only going to fall deeper in… in love with you.” He hesitated, taking a moment to let that sink in. “I know I’m being stupid, trying to prove that my argument is better than yours. You’re older and smarter than me, and… I should trust you. I’m sorry.”

Excitement suddenly filled my chest. “Does that mean you’ll-”

“Y-yes,” he breathed, before adding “Maybe. Once I think about it.”

The ‘maybe’ didn’t dampen his acceptance one bit, and my excitement spilled over. He gasped when I dived in to kiss him. As usual, he curled against me and returned the kiss like his life depended on it.

He slowly sank down into firm, white pillows, and I followed him, leaning over and holding myself up with my hands beside his shoulders. His gentle, nervous fingers began at my neck, moved down my shoulders and arms and then back up, and continued to slide down my back. My skin tingled, and I wished there was nothing between his and mine. I was not used to feeling my heartbeat quickening from something like this. I already knew how much I liked kissing him, and with his hands on me, I discovered something I liked just as much.

Forcing myself to part from his lips for a few moments, I sat back and hurried to drag off the fluffy jumper he’d put on me, along with the black tank. I hadn’t anticipated his reaction.

“H-ho…” he gasped, his jaw dropping as he stared at me. He didn’t manage to finish saying my name.

I smiled whispered “sorry” and dropped the clothing off the side of the bed. “It was in the way.” I leant down again, and his soft brown eyes drilled into my skin as though he was seeing something he couldn’t comprehend.

“I-in the way of what?” he whispered, and I nuzzled his nose. His breath caught.

Not knowing what to expect, I moved slowly, and gently pulled his hand to my chest. “You,” I whispered, trailing my eyes from his to his lips, “touching me.”

His hand trembled. I tried to calm him, but kissing him had the opposite effect. His fingers curled and he panted against my lips. Evidently, I still had a long way to go before I understood him entirely. The messages he sent me were so muddled, and sometimes, so misleading. He should have come with instructions, honestly.

“Nngghh-Hos-seok-” he breathed. I leant away immediately, worried I’d upset him. “I need t-time before we do this, okay? I don’t want to do it just because you’re lying on top of me.”

I stared in his eyes for a moment, just taking in what he’d said. “I know,” I began. “You said ‘once you think about it,’ right?”

His eyes fluttered as he blinked. “Right,” he sighed after a hesitation. “B-but… th-that means I’d appreciate it if you… maybe didn’t undress and kiss me like that just yet.”

While my eyes searched his face, I felt around the edges of his spirit, barely, but just enough to notice something that had somehow escaped me. His aura trembled with red-hot lust. That explained his flushed cheeks and stuttering, but I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t pick up on it sooner. I realised a moment later that I hadn’t recognised his desire whilst so distracted by my own.

I smiled and almost laughed at the realisation. “I’m sorry,” I began, still smiling, and sat up. “I didn’t realise how aroused you were; I thought it was all me.”

He gaped. “You th-thought…?!?”

His expression was somewhere between horrified and embarrassed beyond all reason. I didn’t quite understand why, but I felt a little embarrassed as well. “What?” I asked.

His eyes shot downwards, and I watched, confused, as he stared at my crotch for a few moments. Suddenly, he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. “God dammit Hoseok,” he mumbled as he reached out to push me off him. I slid onto the bed beside him and watched as he buried himself under his blanket so that just a tuft of fluffy, slightly damp hair was visible on the pillow. I still didn’t quite understand, but I smiled anyway.

“Did you assume I wouldn’t be affected by you in the same way you’re affected by me?”

“Hoseok, not now,” he groaned, and I let my smile widen as my eyes dropped to the bed. He was still breathing heavily when I looked back at him, and I slowly settled down onto my side.

“Are you going to sleep now?”

A few long moments passed; there was no sound but his deep breaths. “Yes,” he finally said.

“Sleep well,” I whispered. I didn’t expect and answer.

When I first laid down, there was a few feet of space between us, but after half an hour, his breaths had evened out and I knew he was sleeping. dared snuggle up to him, and over the span of another half an hour, I slid under the covers, reached around his body, and pulled him against me. With my head on his pillow, I relaxed into his warmth and the scent of his clean hair filling my nose. His perfectly-curved back fit wonderfully against my front. I concluded that there was nothing more wonderful that the feel of his warm, soft skin against mine.

Falling frightened me as much as it should, but moments like these made it all seem worth it.

~

“Hoseok… Hoseok, please…”

Light was the first thing I noticed, and I blinked rapidly at the surprising sensation of my head swimming. I reached up to rub at my eyes, and then—still blinking—found the blurry shape of my human.

I wasn’t a complete stranger to this feeling; however, that didn’t make it any less unexpected. When I could finally see properly, Yoongi was kneeling on the bed beside me, his arm hovering over me where he’d been touching my shoulder. His expression was concerned. I wanted to pull him down against me again and cover us with the thick blankets.

“Thank god,” Yoongi sighed. “I thought you were dead.”

“What?” I rasped, and then chuckled at my voice. I rubbed my eyes again, because the crusty feeling in them was highly uncomfortable.

“Were you… were you sleeping?”

His confusion was cute. “I guess I was.”

Endearingly, he asked: “are you okay?”

“Of course,” I said, my voice sounding a little more natural.

“B-but you don’t usually…”

“Yoongi, calm down,” I cooed, and he huffed, dropping his hand to his leg. “I’m tired, and a little stressed about a few things, but I’m fine; I promise.”

“When I woke up I… y-you scared me.”

“How did I scare you?”

“Well… your arms were wrapped around me. I didn’t know it was you.”

“Who else would it be?” I wanted to smile, but at the same time I was a little concerned.

“N-nobody, I guess. I just didn’t expect it...” He hugged himself absently. “I've never woken up to someone wrapped around me before...”

“I couldn’t resist,” I said, and the smile took over. “I suppose I just fell asleep because I was horizontal, and you were so peaceful.”

Yoongi nodded slowly, his eyes drifting down the bed and slowly back up. “Did you dream?” he asked quietly.

After a moment of thought, I shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t remember.” His eyes met mine then, and after a moment, I asked: “how about you?”

A violent wave of embarrassment whipped at me, and I couldn’t control my grin.

“Ugh,” Yoongi groaned, and spun to hang his legs over the edge of the bed.

Sleepily, I sat up as well, and reluctantly let the covers fall away from my toasty-warm, bare skin. “Did you dream about me?”

Still facing away, he quietly whispered: “I always dream about you.”

My heart fluttered. I knew he had dreamt about me before, but always? “What happens in your dreams?”

“Ah…” he breathed. “N-nothing much.”

I felt my lips tug up into a small smile, and I shuffled across the bed towards him. His embarrassment would always confuse me. I couldn’t understand why in the world humans seemed to think there was something wrong with liking another person, feeling attracted to them, and seeking pleasure and wanting to give it. They made it seem so taboo, which gave the impression that they wanted to make themselves miserable. Maybe it was a lack of understanding or trust, or simply a cultural tradition. I wanted Yoongi to be happy and to feel good all the time, about everything he did and everything that surrounded him. He pushed me away so harshly sometimes that I wondered if I’d ever be able to convince him to see things my way.

Very gently—as I was aware of his tendency to freak out at things such as my closeness—I moved up behind him and leant my front against his arm. He didn’t turn towards me, but he stiffened slightly. Just as slowly, I pressed a soft kiss to his ear. His pretty eyes closed for a moment, and then he turned to me.

“That,” he whispered. “That happens in my dreams.” I smiled and tipped my head down to kiss his shoulder. “In fact, I think we kiss more in five minutes in my dreams than we ever have outside them.”

I didn’t need to feel the heat and embarrassment swirling inside him to know how he felt. His cheeks began to darken, and he wouldn’t look towards me at all. The fact that he would say any of this, though, proved that he trusted me more than before, and maybe wasn’t so embarrassed.

Before I could say anything else, he tipped his head up and met my eyes. “It’s still really new for me to… to be so attracted to someone,” he said, but halfway through, he looked away again. “I’m sorry that I act like a baby about it. It’s just… difficult to come to terms with.”

Even if I basically agreed, I didn’t like it when he apologised about it. He was always so nervous about how I made him feel; I felt that for myself. He shouldn’t have had to feel like that, but he shouldn’t have to apologise about it either.

I reached up and stroked my fingers through his hair at the back of his head. “It’s new for me, too,” I admitted, and pressed another kiss to his shoulder. Yoongi had been sending me unsubtle waves of heat since I woke up, but it intensified inside us every time my lips touched him. I began to really like making him feel that heat. I knew what it meant, and loved that it was because of me.

“It took you so long to realise how I felt about you that… I thought it wouldn’t be possible for you to feel the same way.” His voice was so soft that I wouldn’t have heard him if not for the silence that surrounded us.

“You mean for me to feel attracted to you?” I clarified, and he nodded. “I didn’t expect it either. But isn’t that what you’d expect when you fall for someone?”

Yoongi’s eyes slowly found their way to mine again, and the depth of his expression told me more than our bond ever could. What I said seemed to have struck him somewhere deep. He turned further towards me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. His head tilted as he pressed his lips against mine, and his weight slowly pushed me down onto the bed. For a few moments he hovered awkwardly, until I wound my arms around his waist. I finally convinced him to rest his weight down over me. His kiss faltered while a hot breath spilled out over my mouth, and I felt the same about the contact of our bare bodies.

“Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi sighed, his moist lips brushing mine as he spoke. I stifled a feeling of impatience to let him talk. “I-I’ve thought a lot about it now… and… if you think it’s the right thing to do, I want to do it.”

For a few moments, my brain was clouded with Yoongi’s unique taste and the breathtaking effect of his kiss. I stared in his eyes, my brow pinching slightly, until I realised what he was talking about. My heart skipped and my eyes widened slightly.

“Yoongi, it’s about what you want. No matter what I think-”

“I know, I know… Just… tell me right now that it’s going to be okay if I do choose to seal it. Please, just promise me it’s not going to change or ruin anything. Promise me it’ll fix this.”

Such heavy promises; I didn’t know if I could keep any of them. I could only tell the truth. “Yoongi-yah… You know what’s going to happen. I can’t promise you-”

“Hoseok.” The way he whined my name made me stop. My face fell at the defeated vibes he buffeted me with. “Lie if you have to.”

I swallowed, my throat feeling thick. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I whispered, my voice weak. “I promise.”

The last thing I wanted was for Yoongi to do something he might regret. If I could keep him from danger like I knew a bond would, I hoped with all my soul that he’d be happy with his decision. In the meantime, however, Yoongi was lying over me with emotions crashing like waves, and I had no idea how to calm him.

His fingers moved to stroke the hair away from my face, very gently, and I watched his eyes follow the movement. With a heavy sigh, he ducked his head and kissed me again. The impatience of a moment ago suddenly rose up inside me again. The realisation that it was not at all him but entirely me made it all the more exciting. If nothing else, the shift in my emotions proved how well-matched I could be to my human, despite what Heaven tried to preach. A wonderfully pleasurable mix of heat and desire swirled in my chest and belly, resembling the gentle throbs from Yoongi’s bond.

He kissed me harder as the moment passed, his tongue even dipping past my lips to stroke against mine. My brows knitted slightly in confusion, but relaxed again when I felt how riled up he really was. From what he’d said, I was safe to assume he wanted to seal the bond now, in the traditional sense. My stomach suddenly coiled at the realisation. I had only felt that once in my long life, and it excited me beyond my greatest expectations.

In the blink of an eye, I began to crave his touch all over me. I needed to feel his pleasure across the bond again. Momentarily alarmed by the way he excited me so easily, I sighed deeply and brought my hands to his face. He pressed his lips harder against mine, and a soft sound rose from his throat.

“You’re gonna make me start, aren’t you?” Yoongi asked, though it sounded more like a statement in his breathless tone.

“Start?” I asked, sounding equally breathless. He just stared for a few moments.

“I guess you are,” he said and smiled.

I smiled as well, just in response to the happy expression on his face. I’d missed it. “Tell me how to start,” I said, and watched as he searched my eyes. “If you want me to.”

He hummed, a short sound while he thought. When his eyes locked back in mine, I noticed a flash of confidence and determination I didn’t expect. His eyes slid from mine and he sat up slowly. I let him go, and he took my hands in his. A thrill spiked through my gut when he lifted my hands to his body. “It’s not hard to get me started,” he whispered, his tongue shot out to wet his lips. Slowly, he dragged my hands down his body, and my jaw shuddered, partly his pleasure, partly mine.

At some point, he rolled us so that his head was cradled by a thick, white pillow, and I held myself up over him. He was just as soft and smooth as he looked, and so responsive. His body immediately told me where he was sensitive with the way he tensed or sighed—or both—when my fingers simply brushed his skin. He had lots of sensitive places. I experimented, taking hints from his whines and whispers of pleasure, leaving kisses against his throat and across his clavicles.

While I discovered him, he grew more and more impatient. He refused to vocalise it until I could feel it bubbling up and threatening to drive him insane. He was tense; I could feel him trembling at my touches now. It was easy to empathise when my body responded in just the same way. The few gentle touches he treated me to left me excited and desperate for more. Finally, I dragged his hand to my lips and kissed the backs of his fingers, my brows knitting as I tried to hold back the urge to groan.

“Yoongi-yah,” I whispered, leaving gentle kisses to his fingertips and down his palm. “You’re driving me crazy.”

“I’m driving you crazy,” he repeated, but his emphasis alerted me to the double-meaning. I felt him tremble as my teeth grazed his wrist. “I’m so nervous,” he breathed, and his voice shook just enough to prove it. “I can’t s-stand the thought of being without you, ever.”

My heart throbbed. I couldn’t have said anything more true, and it felt incredible that the words came out of his mouth. “I know,” I sighed, and held his hand against my chest. His next breath shuddered, but he took the hint and let himself explore my body. I bent down and kissed him, because it became increasingly impossible not to while he dragged gentle strokes across my skin.

His other hand joined the first, trailing hot, trembling palms across my back and shoulders. When his lips slowly stopped sliding with mine, I realised his concentration had moved elsewhere. Forever trembling, his fingers slid down my hips and under the waistband of my jeans. I gently sucked on his lip while he was distracted; maybe nonchalance would encourage him. If there was anything I’d learnt about humans, it was their reluctance to show themselves naked in the company of others. I, for one, had no hesitance whatsoever, and if he took too long, I was going to strip us both myself.

Whilst testing out the effects my tongue could have on his lips, I slid my hand down his side, stopping at his waist where his sweats hugged his slim body. It seemed like he was too uneasy about it to continue, so I went first. He gasped when my fingers slipped under his waistband, and I brought my other hand to assist in pulling the gray cloth down. His hands balled into fists against my hips. I didn’t see much point in leaving his underwear on, and dragged them down as well, and he picked his hips up in an almost automatic movement. All the while I kissed him, distracting him from the embarrassment that heated his cheeks.

I couldn’t help it when I sat up and tugged his clothes off his feet. I dropped them to the floor and stared at his naked body without the slightest reservation. Yoongi suddenly blazed with humiliation, and it made me smile.

Eventually, he whined: “stop~!” and reached down to cover himself. I grinned and took his hands in mine, mercifully looking back up to his face.

“I’m sorry,” I said with a grin. “You really are pretty.”

“No way,” he breathed, lacing his fingers with mine while I leant down and kissed his jaw.

“If you can call me beautiful, I can call you pretty.”

“Fine,” he breathed, and slowly uncurled his clenched fingers. “J-just take your d-damn pants off already.” I pulled back and raised my brow at him, but I couldn’t stop the smile spreading across my lips at his tomato-red cheeks, lust-filled eyes, and stubborn pout.

I sat up and unbuttoned my jeans, watching his slightly gaping expression. His eyes wandered my arms, my chest, my stomach, and my hands, and lingered there while I rid myself of the last of my clothing. The redness from his cheeks spread down his neck, and his breaths sped up while I crawled back over him to, once again, capture his sweet lips with mine.

All of his embarrassment and hesitance made me feel like I should constantly check that he was still okay with this, but apart from removing clothing, I wasn’t the one moving things forward; it was all him. His fingers crept down my side and across my stomach. I couldn’t help myself from pulling away from his kiss and looking right in his eyes. He pulled his gaze away, and I felt him blaze while his fingers gently brushed my groin. His heart was beating so fast that I wanted to calm him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do a thing but watch him.

I was still for a few tense moments of shock while I came to terms with the feeling of his fingers wrapping around my length. I couldn’t control my jaw as it trembled; the feeling was familiar, and I wanted more. I rocked forward and breathed a harsh sigh against his lips. That affected him more than I expected.

He cursed. I wanted to kiss him, but I was too distracted by his hand. My chest felt tight and I breathed harder to calm myself.

“Yoongi-yah,” I breathed. “This is what you were doing that night,” I said, and snaked my hand down his body towards his crotch. “Isn’t it?”

He caught my hand suddenly, with the one that had been touching me. “Yes,” he sighed. “And I’m already so hard that if you touch my dick, I’m not gonna last, s-so…”

I looked down between us, just before he dragged my face up to his again with his hands cupping my cheeks.

“Stop looking, god dammit,” he growled, looking right in my eyes.

“What are you embarrassed for?” I sighed. “There’s no part of you that I love any less than another.” The embarrassment he buffeted me with began to make way for the soft tendrils of affection that I’d gotten used to feeling recently. “Stop applying human rules to me; it drives me insane.”

After a few moments of hesitance, Yoongi’s lips curled up at the corners. “You’re hot when you tell me what to do.”

“I’d keep telling you what to do if I knew what I was doing,” I said, and was delighted that I made him laugh.

“Okay, I haven’t done this before either, but I guess I’ll try to help out.”

With that, he turned his head away from me, and his eyes searched the room for a moment. I didn’t bother asking him what he was doing when he gently pushed me back and leant over to the wooden bedside table. After mumbling another curse, he got up and trotted to the bathroom. I just watched, infatuated with the way his bare body looked while he moved.

A few cupboard doors opened and closed, as did a few drawers, and finally Yoongi came back out of the bathroom. He walked quickly to the bed and crawled across it, a small tube in his hand.

“It was a long shot, but…” he held out his hand for a second, and then realised I had no idea what he was holding. “It’s lube,” he said quietly, and refused to meet my eyes. “I-I’ll show you.”

And show me, he did. My impatience took a backseat while he gave me such an open invitation to watch him. I stared while he slicked up his fingers with the clear substance. With a great deal of embarrassment, he pushed them inside himself. My hand tightened on his leg while I watched—not quite because of what I saw, but instead the red-hot pleasure that he threw at me as it crawled up my spine.

“Th-this is just to make sure I'm r-ready… S-so you don’t hurt m-me.”

I took a deep breath, thinking for a moment about how unwilling I was to do anything that might hurt him, and then realised something that brought a smile to my lips. 

“Yoongi-yah, pain isn’t a problem.”

Just as I spread my hand out over his core, the same realisation covered his face. He was full of throaty moans and strangled cries from the moment I began sending small waves of power through him. 

“O-okay,” he gasped, gently pushing my hand away. “You can’t do that and leave me waiting.”

Before I could apologise, he sat up and squeezed more of the slick liquid onto his hand. He tossed the bottle to the side, seeming unconcerned when it clattered to the floor. I didn’t even try to contain a pleasured groan when his hand wrapped around me again. I was sure I’d never get used to this, but I was willing to test that. 

“Just go slow, okay?” he breathed, his eyes on my lips for a few moments before he met my gaze. 

“Okay,” I agreed, and waited while he laid back down. Looking between his legs again, I finally realised exactly what I was doing. I’d always had the general idea, but right then, I finally had nothing left to the imagination. Swallowing thickly, I crawled between his thighs and leant down to kiss his lips. 

I almost sat back up before he brought a hand to my cheek and caught my gaze. 

Seconds passed while I held his eyes. There was something right on the tip of his tongue, but it took a few hesitant moments to reach his lips. I slowly slid my hand up to his chest and stroked the soft skin there before moving it down towards his centre. 

“Hoseok-ah,” he began, and I felt his entire aura shimmer with the brightest, most wonderful colours. I almost gasped. “I love you,” he breathed, and everything began to change. 

~


	20. Demon Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Jungkook  
> (slight time-jump backwards, it's hard to know when to insert these chapters)

~~~~

After shooting a message to Yoongi that a mild headache had begun to form in the base of my skull, he told me to come home and rest. The day had almost ended, and I knew Yoongi was cautious of the effects my Rhinitis drugs sometimes had on me. Sleep was the only effective remedy, we had discovered.

When I entered the front door and pushed it gently closed, I whistled softly. Not seeing any sign of life, I glanced around and pouted absently—where was Dooley? I’d only seen him for ten minutes this morning when Hyung finally let him back inside, and I missed him so badly that it hurt. I'd rarely ever spent a night away from him before.

I heard muffled voices in Hyung’s room, and I grinned to myself when I considered what I could walk in on were I not to announce myself. I managed to control my expression before knocking on the door; I probably shouldn’t risk bursting in on something I ‘wasn’t supposed to see.’

“Where is Dooley?” I asked Yoongi as I poked my head into his bedroom. I pretended not to notice how he’d jumped in shock, shuffling slightly away from Hoseok. After meeting my eyes for a few moments, Yoongi glanced back at the caramel-skinned man beside him. Hoseok nodded gently, blinking slowly.

When Yoongi sat me down in his room to tell me that ‘Dooley’ wasn’t what I thought he was, I smiled, dragged my eyes up from my lap, and told him I already knew. He stared for a while, his mouth open slightly.

“You know?”

I nodded, a small smile pulling at my lips. “I’ve seen him… change…”

“Wh-when? Why?!”

“It was a while ago, now. I think he was protecting me from… someone or… something. I’m not stupid enough to think its normal for a dog––or a wolf––to suddenly grow to almost twice the size of me and stand on two feet… But he protected me. And then he changed back to… to himself.”

Yoongi glanced up at Hoseok who was leaning comfortably against my brother’s headboard, but maintaining a slightly tense expression.

“Jimin hasn’t shown his human form?”

“Ji…min?” I questioned, my brows rising.

Hoseok glanced across at Yoongi again and then back up at me. “Jimin is your Wolf’s name, and I’m sure he can’t wait to introduce himself to you.”

“Y-you mean… he can change into a human as well?”

Hoseok nodded. “Like any Werewolf, he has four forms: Human, Lupe, Anthrokos or Sub-Lycan, and Lycan.” Hoseok seemed to interpret my expression, so he continued. “In his human form he can blend well, looking exactly like any other human. The way you know him is his second-most natural form—the Lupe. He appears as a normal wolf, and much of his behaviours and levels of understanding reflect his form. His most natural form is the Sub-Lycan—Anthrokos—which is similar to his human form, though he doesn’t have to suppress any of his Lycan characteristics. His eyes shine amber, and his top and bottom canine teeth are longer and more rounded. He has access to greater strength and speed in this form than human form.

“Of course, the last form is the Lycan—the Werewolf’s offensive shape—and it takes a lot out of them to change that way. Jimin would only fight as a Lycan if he felt very threatened, or, of course, if he felt that you were threatened.”

My lips were sealed tightly; it was a lot to take in. Yoongi touched my knee, a concerned look on his face.

“S-so why does Doo-… Why does Jimin live with us? Shouldn’t he live with… with other Werewolves? Am I keeping him away from his family?”

“Not at all,” Hoseok said, shaking his head. “Jimin set out from his pack as soon as he was old enough. His Anthrokos would have appeared to be around fifteen human years, though his Lupe form still appeared to be a very young pup. When I first met Jimin, he was already on his way to being mature, but very much happy. He was as happy to live with you as you were to have him.”

“But… then how many other people have Werewolves as their pets?”

“Very few,” Hoseok said with a smile.

“Then why us?”

My hyung answered this one. “Jimin was drawn to us because of… my family… my blood.”

My muscles began to bunch as I realised what that might mean. “A-a-are you a W-wer-”

“No! No, Jungkook… Let me explain.” I nodded, relieved, but still tense. “Appa…” That word rang through both of us, and neither of us would look at each other. “He was a Demon-Hunter.”

My breath left me in a slightly mortified huff. For a few moments I just stared at nothing, and then I moved my gaze to his.

“Appa’s association with the spirit world––from which Jimin comes––exposed me to Demons… And Demons are drawn to humans who know.”

“But did you know?”

Hyung shook his head. “Not consciously. But… Appa died in battle and Umma-” his voice broke a little before he finished, and my brows pinched in sympathy. “Umma had a bounty on her head… She stood no chance against Demons…”

I didn’t want anybody to see me suffer through the news, so I kept strong and nodded slowly. None of it really made sense, but now wasn’t the time to press for answers.

“Appa earnt favours from… from Heaven,” Yoongi continued. My head tilted to the side in confusion. “He knew I wouldn’t be safe from Demons when he was gone… and he requested that I be protected.”

“By heaven?”

“By... Hoseok.”

My eyes darted to the man who leant so close to my brother as he pointed a serene look at me.

“I’m Yoongi’s Angel, Jungkook-ah.”

“Angel?” I exclaimed, sitting up a little. Yoongi nodded, seeming to make a great effort to ignore how Hoseok had sat up and closed the tiny distance between them, and was now leaning against his shoulder. “Waahh… I always just thought you were his boyfriend…”

Yoongi’s eyes shot open wide at that.

“Boyfriend?” Hoseok said and glanced at Yoongi, before my hyung could get a word out. Yoongi chuckled nervously and, very deliberately, leant away to break the contact between them.

“It just looked like it,” I explained. “But I thought you didn’t want me to know…”

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Yoongi explained, his face wearing a mask of seriousness to cover up his embarrassment.

“So you’re an Angel?” I said to Hoseok. He nodded and smiled, though he seemed distracted, glancing back at Yoongi. I knew I’d brought up something that had bothered Yoongi; I could tell by the way he was suddenly sour and flushing red in the cheeks. Even if Hoseok wasn’t his boyfriend, it didn’t take a fool to see that he wouldn’t have minded if he was. In fact, if the drool I’d seen forming in the corners of his lips while he looked at Hoseok was anything to go by, he would have rather liked it. It wasn’t really my business, though, so I decided to focus on more important topics of discussion.

“So… You haven’t told me where Dooley-… Where Jimin is.”

“Jimin is probably in the forest somewhere with his friend… He ah… he is having trouble being around you,” Yoongi explained.

I felt my heart skip and clench. What had I done? “Why…?”

“Today,” Hoseok began, tuning in since Yoongi had hesitated, “is the first full moon since Jimin turned eighteen. He has reached his maturity and therefore, on the full moon, may not be able to control his Anthrokos.”

“That’s the one with the yellow eyes and teeth?” I asked, and Hoseok nodded. “What do you mean ‘not control?’ Will he hurt me?”

“Of course not,” Hoseok said, at the exact time as Yoongi grumbled “probably.”

I glanced between them, catching the fleeting, disagreeing eye-contact, though I tried to ignore it. Seeing my confusion, Hoseok finally explained.

“Jungkook, Jimin has imprinted on you. At maturity, with the influence of the full moon-” Hoseok suddenly paused when Yoongi flew up from the bed and stormed out. We both watched him, and then met eyes when the door slammed closed. Hoseok sighed. “He’s very upset about this.”

“That a Werewolf imprinted on me?” Hoseok nodded. “What does that mean, anyway?”

“It means… due to all of the love you showed him while he was young, his spirit formed a bond with yours. He’s connected to you, and won’t ever be able to leave you.”

My eyes wouldn’t move from his, though he didn’t waver. He was serious. Wow.

“M-me? He bonded with me?”

Hoseok nodded. “He loves you, as much—if not more than—any human ever could. Demons love in deep and complicated ways.”

My mouth hung slightly open and I felt my eyebrow twitch with surprise. Not only was I discovering that this whole new world existed, but this Angel was trying to tell me that a Werewolf had fallen in love with me, and formed some sort of ‘spirit bond.’ I could barely believe a single word, yet he was so serious, and his sincere eyes left no room for kidding around. Hoseok had always been completely honest, and now, it seemed, was no different.

I tried to imagine my giant black beast as a human, a human that was supposedly in love with me, and trembled at the thought. Pretending I wasn’t suppressing trembles at the whole idea, I pressed forward with my questions.

“So he comes back from wherever his is, every day, just to… be my dog?”

“More just… to be with you,” Hoseok’s explanation made it seem a whole lot deeper.

“But as a dog?”

“Ah…” Hoseok seemed to reconsider his method of description. “Maybe I should let Jimin explain.”

I felt my brows furrow, but my head began to ache with all of the thinking, and Hoseok noticed right away. “How about you go get some rest? He’ll be home before you know it, and then you can meet him for real.”

I nodded in agreement, even though I was sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep with all of this swirling around in my head. Hoseok patted my knee as he stood up, and I looked back at him. “Remember Jungkook-ah, Jimin would never hurt you. I promise, you’re completely safe with him. No matter how strange things might seem, he could never even consider hurting you.” I just nodded, feeling confusion swirl around in my mind as we headed out of Yoongi’s room.

Yoongi was leaning against the bench in the kitchen when he saw us surface, and he turned towards the cupboard to get something. There was just a moment of silence while I stared blankly, and then I met Hoseok’s gaze.

“Angel, huh?” I said, my brow rising.

He smirked. “That’s right. Maybe I’ll show you my wings some time.”

“Aw man, wings? You have to take me flying one day.”

Hoseok chuckled. “One day.”

“Kookie-yah~” Yoongi called from the kitchen, and I gave Hoseok a smile before wandering over.

In the kitchen, Yoongi handed me a glass, which I assume had some dissolved painkillers in it. I brought it to my lips, my suspicion confirmed by the tangy smell and fizzing sound. I downed it quickly, and then waited for Yoongi to re-fill it with fresh water. I was distracted from the ache of a few hours ago, but I knew the painkillers would make sure it stayed that way.

When I undressed and climbed into bed, I realised that not only would the aspirin help my head, it would also make me much drowsier. As I began to settle into sleep, sadness washed over me. I cringed as a feeling of loss clenched at my heart. Now that I was alone with my thoughts, I couldn’t help but let the tears fall, as once again I was reminded of the death of my parents. Thankfully, sleep followed quickly, and with it came wild, fanciful, distracting dreams of a faceless boy who loved me to death.

~

My head swam as I began to wake, and my body warned me that my face was buried in my pillow, depriving me of oxygen. I weakly turned my head and took a few deep breaths. Even in my half-asleep state, I suddenly noticed the earthy, woodsy smell of my Wolf. My eyes snapped open but there was nothing even resembling Dooley on the bed, and as I sat up and glanced through my slitted eyes, he wasn’t anywhere else inside, either. For a few moments I just stared at nothing. It seemed logical that Hoseok and Yoongi had just been pulling my leg, but it had seemed so real and important.

I swallowed to moisten my throat and took a few more deep breaths. I was sure my room didn’t always smell this much like Dooley. I bit my lip and eased myself out of bed. My head felt better; I must have slept before a migrane could really develop. I walked gently into the living room and glanced around until my eyes fell on Hoseok. Well, they did fall on Hoseok, until they skipped across to the mountain of black fur that sat with its front paws across the Angel’s lap. All thoughts of getting a drink from the kitchen, changing into bed clothes, and fixing my hair, were suddenly erased from my mind.

Dooley’s rounded ears pointed straight at me and his amber eyes locked with mine. I could tell Hoseok was looking at me as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to tear my gaze from the wolf’s. His intelligent, understanding expression suddenly had so much more meaning. I felt my mouth open to say something, but it caught in my throat as Dooley moved. He raised half-way off Hoseok’s lap, and then lay down again in the space of a second. A small whine left his throat as he seemed to pat the Angel’s lap, his paws pulling him inches forward. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides. There was so much tension in the room that I could feel something about to happen.

Yoongi came over from the kitchen, but he just stood beside the couch.

“Come on,” Hoseok said quietly to Yoongi, and tapped Hyung’s arm. I felt myself tense as the Wolf leapt to the floor, his eyes not leaving mine while his tense body held him in an uncomfortable-looking, upright pose.

“N-no, I’m not leaving them here alone,” Yoongi snapped quietly, and Hoseok stayed silent. I assumed his look convinced my brother, and Yoongi grumbled as he got up and shrugged into a coat.

Hoseok bent down and whispered to Jimin, turning the wolf’s face towards him, breaking our eye-contact. I felt my whole body lock up—something was seriously about to go down and I couldn’t even focus my mind enough to consider what it might be. All I could do was assure myself that Dooley wasn’t going to hurt me: Hoseok promised.

Yoongi managed to steal my eyes for a moment, and it alarmed me that he couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes. What is going on? Hoseok reassured me with a smile and a nod, and they both disappeared out the door into what I realised was a dark evening. I must have slept for a fair few hours.

With the house to myself, I couldn’t help but let my eyes fall on the Wolf once again. Holding my gaze, he slowly advanced towards me. It took everything I had not to feel afraid. I was sure my Hyung and his ‘Angel’ would never let anything bad happen to me, let alone leave me alone with something that could, or even might, hurt me.

I couldn’t help it, however, when Dooley began to advance towards me; I backed into my room until I fell onto my bed. Breathing heavily now, I watched him closely, and his tail was very still and carried very low. It was rare to see it anything but sticking straight out, and often wagging madly. I swallowed thickly as I crawled backwards until I was against my headboard.

Just as always, Dooley crouched to jump up onto the bed, but this time it caused a shudder to build up in my throat, and the gasp I let out trembled madly as he took off from the floor. His front paws landed on the bed and suddenly, right before my eyes, the mountain of black fur shifted and changed. As I watched, and so quickly that his back feet had barely even landed on the bed, the wolf had been replaced by a human boy.

“H-holy fffffuck,” I breathed. I just stared as he crawled towards me, heavily-lidded, bright amber, almond-shaped eyes locked with mine. Thick black hair lay messily yet attractively across his head, and round cheeks gave his handsome face a youthful flare. His lips were parted as he crawled over my legs, and I tried to shuffle further away, despite being pressed against the headboard.

The boy stopped, his face terrifyingly close to mine, and his lidded eyes trailed down my face and back up. I felt fear tremble through me, but curiosity battled furiously with the emotion, allowing my eyes to wander, just as his had. I couldn’t stop myself as my gaze dragged further downwards to his solid neck, and across strong, round shoulders. My eyes grew even wider as I let them wander down his back, and realised he was completely and utterly naked.

His mouth opened a little as he took in a short breath, and my eyes snapped back to his. “Park Jimin,” he said, and his husky voice sent sparks all through me. “I suppose you can call me ‘Dooley’ if you’d prefer.”

I suppressed a slightly terrified whine until it was just a shuddering breath.

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” he said when I didn’t reply. “I just wish I could have told you earlier.”

Still startled, confused, frightened and everything in between, I couldn’t form words no matter how hard I tried.

“Are you afraid?” he asked quietly, and I closed my slightly-parted lips to swallow. It didn’t help my dry throat one bit.

“A-a-a little,” I breathed. Regret crossed the boy’s face, and he pulled back.

“I’m sorry; I wish I didn’t have to meet you this way, but…” Jimin paused and glanced down. He lifted his head again and raised a hand to grip the headboard behind my head. Instinctively, I flinched, which made him pull back. The way he moved reminded me of Dooley; his movements were controlled and powerful, and he seemed always tensed and ready to spring. The way his eyes held mine was just about the most confronting part—he didn’t even attempt to break eye-contact.

“But?” I asked, managing just one syllable without stuttering.

“The moon… its drive is strong a-and…” Jimin’s hands clenched, one on the protesting wood behind me, and the other in my bed sheets. I glanced down and back up, anticipating his answer. “How much did Hoseok tell you?” He asked, his eyes reflecting concern and hesitance, but also impatience. My breath stuttered as I noticed his teeth, specifically his long, freaky-looking canines.

“Um…” I could barely think. He even smelt like Dooley. I hadn’t noticed that my hands were trembling. “H-he said… at maturity, with the influence of the full moon…” My eyes widened as I realised Hoseok hadn’t finished. Yoongi had distracted him and steered him off track. I met the glowing amber eyes and shook my head slightly. “H-he forgot to tell me what he was going to say,” I mumbled in embarrassment.

“Ah,” Jimin sighed. “He told you that I imprinted on you, right?” he asked, and I gave a tiny nod. Jimin held my eyes for a few moments before continuing, as though he thought that needed a moment to sink in. “What he didn’t say was… the full moon causes us wolves to become a bit… crazy. If not in control of the dangerous side, we could become violent, but I promise I’m in control.” He hurried to reassure me. “It’s not that, though, that I need to worry about you with.”

“What is it?” I whispered, and I watched as Jimin crawled closer and sat right in my lap. I almost yelped, easily feeling the shocking, confronting sensation of what could be nothing but his manhood, pressing against my groin.

“Since I imprinted, that makes you my mate,” Jimin told me, his expression not changing, and I began to understand the impatience in his eyes.

Ah, I thought, so that’s what Hoseok meant by ‘having trouble controlling himself.’

“And the full moon has proven itself a very persuasive influence; it begs me to claim you.”

“C-claim?”

My eyes fluttered with surprise as Jimin leant forward and nuzzled my cheek. I froze as his rounded face snuggled against mine, rubbing with just enough pressure to precisely replicate the affectionate gesture Dooley would always show me. His breath whooshed slow and powerful, right in my ear.

“I love you,” he breathed, though his voice was strong and serious, and caused electricity to spark from my chest outwards, lighting my limbs white hot. “And the only way to seal my bond with you is if you willingly give yourself to me through mating.”

I turned my face slightly towards him, incredibly confronted by his suggestion, and all the sense this suddenly made.

“Mating,” I repeated, feeling my jaw tremble against his. He pulled back a little, meeting my eyes for a second before pushing forward and nuzzling my nose, and then turning to show the same affection to the other side of my face. My heart was skipping and my stomach did flips. The feel of his face against mine was, at first, alarming, but became gradually more endearing, since I knew it was precisely the way he showed his affection when he was Dooley.

With one eye closed, I opened my mouth to say something, but just a sharp breath left my lips, because he had suddenly licked the skin beside my ear. My shoulders tensed and stayed that way while he trailed small, loving licks across my cheek.

An unsure ‘yah’ came out as a sigh, and for the first time, my hand came up to touch his shoulder. Those had felt nothing like Dooley’s licks, and Jimin’s much warmer, thicker, stronger, moister tongue sent mad trembles down my spine and up again. The feel of his muscles under my hand didn’t hit me until his forehead pressed to my temple, halting those foreign-feeling licks. I dropped my hand, my cheeks suddenly flaming. Shit, I thought, my eyes sweeping over his bare body for a moment, he’s godly.

“I’m scaring you,” Jimin whispered, “I’m sorry.”

My heart throbbed then, and I felt as though I needed to reassure him. “I’m not afraid of you,” I whispered. He looked up then, pulling back to see my eyes properly. “This is just… new,” I said, my voice slightly stronger. “Y-you’re my dog-” I had to force myself not to sound too distraught, though everything about this evening was beginning to get to me.

A hurt expression crossed Jimin’s eyes. He closed them and leant forward, pressing his forehead into mine, and he gently rubbed his cheek against mine again. Every time it happened it felt less strange, and more wonderful; his cheeks were really, really soft. I began to believe how much Hoseok had claimed the wolf adored me.

A deep breath filled Jimin’s chest, and his exhale rumbled from his throat in a low, alarmingly inhuman growl. That did scare me. My eyes clenched suddenly, and he must have felt me flinch. “Jungkook,” he breathed, in an even huskier voice, and despite my moment of fear, it had affected the direction in which my blood suddenly rushed. “Don’t feel obliged to give yourself to me.”

My eyes opened slowly, and he pulled back to meet my gaze. A few seconds of that golden leer, and he dipped his head to nuzzle under my jaw. I felt the tip of his nose brush against my Adam’s apple and dip into my jugular, and trembled violently when he took a deep breath.

“What happens,” I managed to say, “i-if I don’t?”

“I don’t know,” Jimin breathed against my neck, and he nuzzled cutely there as well. “I’ll have to leave until the sun comes up.”

My lips twisted as the presence of Jimin’s arousal shifted with the way he moved his hips. My breath stuttered and I dared not glance down. It was certainly alarming, but at the same time I sympathised; I wouldn’t want to be cursed with a raging desire and left to sit somewhere by myself until the night ended.

My lip trembled while I tried to wrap my head around all of this. How was I supposed to decide on what I wanted while he was drawing patterns in my sensitive skin with his nose, and breathing hot breath down my bare chest? How was I supposed to decide the fate of this being when I only just discovered what and who he really was? A few hours ago he was my pet, and now he’s a Demon that loves me: whose spirit has bonded with mine. I felt my brow creasing in frustration and indecision.

Jimin’s uncomfortable shifting moved his hips against mine in the most unsubtle, distracting way imaginable. Cursing my teenage body, I raised my hands to his arms. I had intended to push him back a little and give myself some breathing space, but he only drew closer until the muscular pillows of his chest pushed against me. I whined, unable to stop the sound in the slightest. His body felt distressingly nice against mine, and my back arched towards him. In just a few seconds, we were suddenly pressed together, and my hands slithered hesitantly up to his face.

As my fingers brushed his jaw, he lifted his face from my neck and pressed his nose beside mine. I flinched very slightly when our lips brushed. Jimin nuzzled slightly, his eyes gently closed, and dipped his head slightly to leave sweet licks across my chin and up over my bottom lip. It made me tremble like nothing else.

“J-Jimin-n,” I sighed, pushing back gently on his shoulder with the hint of a smile. He stopped and looked in my eyes. “Stop licking me.”

Jimin’s lips pressed together and he drew back a little, but the loss of his body’s warmth caused a moment of panic. I leant towards him suddenly, and my fingers curled around his muscled shoulder as I pressed my lips against his. We were still for a few seconds, eyes lidded heavily while I bathed in the feeling. I pulled away and held his eyes, poking my tongue between my lips for a second.

“Okay,” Jimin whispered, and he locked his eyes in mine. “I’ll stop licking you,” he said with the hint of a smile, but that expression fled moments later. He dropped his head to my shoulder then, and I looked down at him, confused. “But please stop teasing me.”

Guilt—so much guilt—coursed through me at his tone. Yeah, I was really sympathising with him then, and not only that, but I could feel my own body responding. I knew I could make it better for him, but there was so much weight behind that decision, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to carry it.

“I can smell your pheromones every time you get turned on,” Jimin whispered, his lips moving against my shoulder now. “I could always ignore it before, but now-” He emphasised the last word like it pained him. “I’m sorry about yesterday; it was bad even then. I just wanted to keep away from you so I didn’t…” Jimin swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. “…Didn’t do anything I’d regret.”

Having no idea how to even begin explaining my feelings about any of this, I clutched at his shoulder and didn’t say a word.

Jimin shifted again, and a low, particularly animalistic groan sounded from his throat. “Please tell me to leave before I scare you any more…”

When I didn’t move or speak, Jimin lifted his head and met my eyes. I could only bear to hold that gaze for a few seconds before I looked away; those molten-gold eyes were too much like my puppy’s. I took a deep breath and flicked my eyes to his lips, and without much thought, I tipped my chin up and kissed him.

Jimin responded with a short moan, which got louder when his lips parted to let my tongue past. Gosh, those long teeth felt odd against my tongue. Jimin seemed too startled to relax at first, and just moved his lips with my sloppy rhythm, but he surprised me by tearing away and crawling back a little.

“Jungkook! I don’t want to force you into this, but I can’t control it forever… it’s getting harder by the minute to resist-”

I cut him off with a stronger voice than I expected. “Do it.”

Jimin’s ribs expanded and contracted heavily with each breath under the tense layers of muscle and bronze plains of flawless skin. I couldn’t help but notice how ridiculously attracted to him I actually was, and it made this seemingly terrifying decision marginally less awful.

Still, though almost trembling with need, Jimin held my eyes, searching for mistruth in my eyes. I wasn’t a hundred percent with my decision, but I was somewhere over fifty, and I hoped that was enough.

I got on my knees and leant towards him, bravely threading my fingers through his hair and pulling his face close. Jimin shuddered with what I knew was impatience, though not entirely his own. “Make me yours, then,” I whispered.

Before I could blink, Jimin had yanked my legs out from under me, and I bounced as my back slammed into the mattress. After a short gasp slipped from my lips, Jimin kissed me, harder, faster, and wetter than I ever imagined. It didn’t last long, but long enough to leave me breathless and I yelped when his precise hands took under a second to strip me of my shorts and boxers. He clearly had no qualms with revealing his nudity, but that didn’t stop me from flooding with embarrassment. My whole body felt as though it would turn tomato red. It took a moment to occur to me that he'd technically seen me naked hundreds of times before.

Jimin made no point of prolonging my embarrassment, however. He stroked a hand down my side and crawled right down my body to nuzzle the thick of hair at my groin. I mewled and writhed with humiliation and lust clashing like titans in my mind. I was mortified that his face would stray so close to my crotch, but all he did was nuzzle like the Wolf I knew so well, and breathe deeply against my skin. My breath caught as he nipped my skin, gently so not to leave marks. He left a trail of licks, bites and kisses up to my navel and a he gently dipped is tongue inside. A tiny, familiar whine left his lips and his hand tightened on my hip. Patience didn’t seem like an option for the Demon above me, and I hoped to hell I was prepared for what I’d given him permission to do.

After a few more affectionate gestures, which seemed to serve the purpose of winding me up, he moved his lips to mine again and kissed me slowly. I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth when he sat up and pushed my legs apart. My thighs trembled, and my face enflamed with embarrassment, but Jimin looked at me with nothing but adoration. It didn’t feel too bad when he slid a spit-slick finger inside me, and he made sure it felt wonderful when he fit another beside, because he grazed his stroking fingers against that spot inside me that made me writhe; I was amazed he even knew about it.

I was so glad Hoseok had made Yoongi leave, because the sounds I made were unrestrained and loud enough to convict me even if he were in his room. He guided me so carefully, and I came undone in his arms in less than five minutes. Despite my being a virgin, and his being technically a complete stranger, I eventually felt entirely comfortable with anything he did. My body responded to his touches in just the way I assumed it should, and in what seemed like no time, he pushed himself inside me. I groaned in pain, but there was something so wonderful about the finality of it. Not only was it the first time, but felt the way everything shifted and changed for Jimin, and knew immediately that I belonged to him.

He moved gently at first, but that didn’t last long. The pain didn’t fade, so I clung to him and clawed his skin as an outlet. Jimin cried out—almost howled—as my body began to restrict around him. Either attempting to draw him in or shove him out; it didn’t matter, as long as I was wrapped in his arms and feeling his breath against my skin.

Jimin’s golden eyes shone as he stared down at me, those gorgeous orbs almost shrouded by his heavy eyelids, and the desire that was painted all over his face. I didn’t need any friction against my own erection to get me off—I was so aroused that it almost could have happened without anything at all. Overwhelming heat and pleasure bloomed in my groin and spread through me like wildfire over a savannah, and I wrapped my thighs tight around his hips while I succumbed to a heavenly orgasm.

As far as my blurred mind could tell, Jimin followed soon after, and wailed loudly like an injured animal as he did so. I breathed heavily, trembling from the waist down, and winced a little as the demon gently eased his hips back to free his softening length. After a few more deep breaths, Jimin bent over me and kissed me slowly, and the way he looked in my eyes as he did just made it all so real, and all so worth it. I couldn’t have imagined the evening playing out any other way.

Jimin sighed heavily as he slumped down beside me, relaxing completely. I panted still, feeling a blissful numbness take over my whole body. My eyes had drifted closed at some point, and I simply enjoyed the feel of Jimin’s sweaty arm against mine while he laid there. My peace was shattered after Jimin sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“W-what are you doing?”

Jimin turned and faced me, amber eyes glowing like molten fire, and he blinked slowly like I’d asked him something he didn’t want to answer. “I just have to leave for a while.”

His tone proved that he was softening the truth. “Why?” I begged, forcing myself to sit up and lean towards him.

He faced me fully and bent forward to capture my lips between his. That didn’t answer my question, but I didn’t mind while it lasted. As soon as he pulled away, my eyes bore into his and begged for answers.

“I… I can’t stay here during the full moon. It’ll be hard not to hurt you…”

I didn’t think before I blurted out: “that wasn’t enough?”

Jimin’s brow rose on one side and a smirk formed on his lips. I was about to say something to alleviate the harshness of my words, but Jimin only seemed amused. “Unlike humans, a lot of our energy is supplied by our spirit instead of our body, and during the full moon, our energy is limitless.” I hadn’t expected another lecture, and I wondered if I should put some clothes on. “That’s why some Werewolves lose themselves at this time, every cycle. It takes a lot of control to rein in limitless energy. Since it’s usually so difficult to take Lycan form, those who lose control will turn Lycan… I don’t lose control of myself so much anymore, but… as you can see; I’m not completely in control.”

My eyes narrowed and my brow pinched, just enough to let him know I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant.

“I’m Anthrokos right now, Kookie-yah. That alone is proof that I’m having trouble suppressing it.”

“Hoseok said it was most comfortable for you…”

“It is, but if I could choose, I’d be human around you.”

I swallowed and blinked, surprised he would have such a preference.

“Anyway… In this form, and in the full moon, it’s difficult for me to calm down at all, and even worse when I’m close to you. I just think it would be best if your smell wasn’t surrounding me right now.”

“But I want you to stay,” I whined, shuffling closer again.

Jimin’s lips pursed and his brows pinched upwards in the middle. “You don’t know what you’re saying,” he breathed. “It would be too much for me to stay here… I’ll be back before you wake, I swear.”

“Jimi~n,” I whined, and I realised I was already using my puppy-eyes and baby-voice on him to get my way.

“Listen, I can either stay here and keep you up all night, or leave and let your body rest—let you sleep. There’s no argument, Jungkook. I have to leave. I won’t be far away so that I can guard the house.”

“What’s wrong with keeping me up all night?” I had shuffled closer and was mumbling childishly and pouting against his lips.

“Jungkook,” he sighed, completely exasperated. “What we just did… I can’t do it to you again. Not so soon. Please let me go.”

I just sighed and fell back onto the bed, my arms splayed, but Jimin didn’t move. He stared at me, even when I got sick of the silence and turned a glare his way. “What, you’re not leaving now?”

We held eye-contact for a while, and Jimin’s expression proved he didn’t want to go at all.

“Go clean up,” he cooed, crawling towards me and leaning his body over mine. I stared up at him, trying not to give him the satisfaction of seeing how affected I was by his attractiveness. “Sleep well by yourself on this tiny bed, and then in the morning, you can wake up beside me.”

I pouted still, but tipped my chin up towards him because, despite the fact that I’d only really known Jimin for an hour, I wasn’t going to let him leave without kissing me.

~

I woke groggily, and swore I could smell my Wolf again, just like when I’d woken up earlier after my nap. I blinked and shook my head a little, wondering why I felt so tired. I’d slept heavily and should feel well rested. With a sleepy sigh, I rolled over, and just as I would usually suspect, a fluffy ball of fur was there, ready for morning cuddles. A low, deep gargle left the Wolf’s throat as he turned his head towards me and nuzzled into my neck.

The wetness of his nose against my skin suddenly caused vivid, shocking memories to flow back. Were they memories or dreams? A few moments contemplation, and even though logic told me they were dreams, I knew there were memories.

I dragged myself into a sitting position and winced. Yes, definitely memories. I gulped and moved to sit on the side of my hip. After my shower the night before, I’d just pulled on my sweats and climbed back into bed, and I clearly hadn’t stirred at all when Dooley jumped into bed beside me. I yawned once, and then glanced down at the furry lump that had rolled onto his other side. One paw pressed into my thigh, and my brow creased harder. I could barely believe that any of that had really happened.

As weird as it was to think about, the wolf in front of me was really a demon who could take human form, and I craved to reassure myself that last night wasn’t a dream. 

“Can you change back into Jimin now?” I rasped in a dragon-voice, more a question than a request. I figured it would be too much too expect him to nod or respond in a human way. Hoseok had said his behaviour and understanding would be similar to that of an actual wolf in this form. I wondered if he could understand my language well when he was Lupe. 

“Dooley-yah,” I said and cleared my throat. I got onto my knees and faced him. He sat up then and looked right at me. “Change back. I want to see your face.”

A short whine left his throat, and he did that distressed half-yawn I’d seen a few times. I watched for a few seconds, and he finally obliged. He shuffled back on his giant paws and then shifted right there, the furry beast replaced by a solid, gorgeously tanned human male. 

“Jimin,” I breathed, and made to move towards him. He beat me to it, closing the distance with haste and pressing his mouth to mine. A soft sound of satisfaction and surprise echoed from my chest, all weirdness forgotten. 

He managed to bring a portion of the weirdness back when he pulled his face back and then darted in again, leaving loving licks all over my face. Squinting and chuckling, I pushed against his shoulders.

“Jimin~!” I whined, though I couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Kookie-yah,” he breathed in his youthful voice, and nuzzled his nose and cheek against the side of my face. I gave in and wrapped my arms around his neck, and my eyes scrunched shut in an uncontrollable smile. Gentle bites travelled down my neck, soothed by slow strokes of his hot tongue.

He nuzzled into the junction of my neck and shoulder, and a dark moan startled both of us. Embarrassed by the heat in the sound, my cheeks immediately flushed. Jimin raised his head and looked in my eyes for a few seconds, and then tipped his head up to nuzzle the tip of his nose against mine.

I noticed after a moment that his eyes were a dark chocolate, almost black. This must have been the human form he’d mentioned. I didn’t get much time to think about anything but his soft skin snuggling against mine, so I let it leave my mind.

“How do you feel?” Jimin asked, sitting back on his shins with his palms pressed to the mattress between his knees. It was literally the cutest thing to see him crouched just like the puppy I’d known him as. 

“Fine,” I lied. “Great, actually.”

“Are you sore?” He specified, and I couldn’t lie so blatantly to that. 

“Yeah,” I admitted, taking in how I was sitting with my butt-cheeks on my calves so that the tenderest part touched nothing. I was definitely sore. 

“I’m sorry,” Jimin said, the most adorable pout on his lips. I shook my head and felt my face light up with a genuine smile. 

“I don’t regret it, so you don’t have to apologise.”

“Really? You don’t?”

Jimin’s surprise made my smile falter. “Of course not… Why, is something wrong?”

“No,” he assured me. “I just wish I didn’t hurt you.”

“You were wonderful,” I whispered, my cheeks lighting on fire again. “More gentle than I ever expected.”

Jimin just nodded, looking a little reassured. 

“S-so... This means we’re bonded now?” I asked, the words sounding odd as they left my mouth.

A smile curved Jimin’s lips, turning his eyes to crescents. “Yeah,” he breathed, and he leant forward to touch his nose against mine again. “I felt it as soon as I left last night. The pull towards you was like the desire to breathe. Sitting with Taehyung in the forest all night felt like holding my breath. I came back as soon as dawn broke, because I could finally change back to Lupe… To ‘Dooley.’”

My expression had shifted into a disbelieving, uncomfortable frown. “I’m sorry,” I said, my breaths beginning to speed up. His words had stuck a dagger of guilt in my gut, and the way he shook his head with that happy smile only twisted it deeper. 

“Don’t be sorry; I need to get used to being away from you, I guess.”

“You should have just stayed,” I said, my throat thick as I swallowed. 

“Jungkook-ah, you know why I didn’t stay. Stop worrying about it, we’re together now.”

I couldn’t imagine the relief he felt just from being close to me again. His description had hit me deeply. 

“Don’t ever leave again… You don’t have to anymore.”

Jimin chuckled and dipped his head to nuzzle against my chest. I knew it was a patronising laugh, and hurried to reassure him that I meant it as I curled my fingers in his thick hair. 

“You have to go to school and work. We will be apart sometimes, and I have to get used to it. Don’t worry about me.”

“Of course I’m gonna worry. It sounds awful…”

“It doesn’t matter, I can’t be around you all the time, so I just have to get used to it.”

I grimaced. I didn’t want him to suffer, ever.

“Stop making that face,” he hummed against my cheek, and pressed his forehead to my temple. 

“It just doesn’t seem fair…”

“I shouldn’t have told you.”

My lips twisted at that. “What else are you not telling me?”

“Everything I don’t need you to worry about,” he teased, and grinned as he pressed a kiss to my lips. I pouted, but he just smiled. I got the feeling there were a few things that were going to take a while to get used to.


	21. PART 2 - The Fallen - Asianfanfics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

Hoseok’s expression was always loving and curious. While he waited for my confession, it was no different. He couldn’t hide it from me, though, when my words filled him with surprise, and several other emotions I didn’t have the concentration to identify. I loved that I could affect him like that.

I covered his hand with mine the moment I felt his healing heat pour into me. It was less urgent this time, but that didn’t stop the bone-deep throbbing from stealing my attention completely. Hoseok moved slightly, and my gasping intensified at the feel of his hips against my butt. My eyes shot downwards to his hand where it was wrapped around his length. God, I had never been so ready, yet so hesitant at the same time. He flexed beautifully while he breathed, outlining every muscled line of his sculpted body. I wanted to kiss him again and again, but that would have felt like more stalling. 

“Hoseok-ah,” I breathed, and my body shuddered at the thought of what was to come. He looked up and met my eyes. The way he too trembled with anticipation made the moment seem even more impossible than before. His expression was focused; I could see he didn’t need me to ask.

He pushed in, not fast, but not slow, and my back arched. Everything I expected sex to be was put to rest at that moment. Granted, I hadn’t anticipated my first time to be with an Angel, and had expected discomfort and pain. High, embarrassing sounds stuttered unrestrained from my throat due to my inability to close my mouth for the life of me. Heat… so much heat. It spread from Hoseok’s hand and the addictive tendrils of power he poured into me. As if I wasn’t already hot, his body heat swirled around us, making my throat feel thick.

I gasped and mumbled uncertain, trembling profanities as he slowly rocked forward and back again, driving in ever so slightly further each time. It really didn’t hurt at all; the only feeling down there was an indescribable stretching, and an overwhelming feeling of fullness. I wasn’t even sure how to take it for a while. He, however, was slowly becoming more and more of a mess. Barely able to control his expression or decide on where to look, he moved slowly, gripping my thigh hard with one hand, and pressing the other into my solar-plexus with varying pressure.

After what must have been a while, I discovered what all the rage was about. As he moved inside me, reaching deeper than I even thought possible, his hardness put pressure on incredibly sensitive places. Every time he moved, the friction got hotter. It was unbearable. Shudders racked my constricted chest until I shoved his healing-hand away, unable to take the heat any longer.

“Y-yoongi…” he sighed in a concerned stutter, stilling his hips as his power was cut off. I groaned, feeling a sting begin to spread up my spine.

“D-don’t stop,” I breathed, and swallowed in an attempt to clear the lump in my throat and strengthen my voice. “I’m f-fine, I promise.”

“It doesn’t hurt?” His voice was as breathy and shaky as mine, and I needed to stop him wasting it talking.

“A little,” I admitted, “but fuck it feels s-so good, so jus-st move.”

As usual, Hoseok did what he was told. The next centimetre he pushed in hurt a bit, and the sting was quickly replaced by an ache. I tried to trap another groan, but it just rumbled in my throat, and didn’t escape Hoseok’s attention. I glanced at him just to notice his brows pinch with concern. I shook my head, but he leant down and kissed my lips anyway.

“Please let me,” he whispered against my lips as his fingers trailed up my stomach to hover over that specific place below my chest. I shook my head and whimpered.

“I’ll come,” I confessed, as embarrassing as it was, “and I don’t want you to finish yet.”

His fingers caused tingles in my skin where they touched, as though he couldn’t control the power that begged to be healing me—taking away the pain. It was addictive, like everything he did, and I lifted my hand to cover his.

He moved again, so slowly and gently, and I almost lost myself in the rhythm of his powerful hips. For the first time in a while, his stroking hand brushed over my cock, and I moaned so lewdly that I felt heat spread my blush down my neck. As if I wasn’t red enough from the embarrassing sex flush that lit my pale body in blotchy patches, my face must have looked like a tomato.

His wandering hand didn’t stop to tease me, much to my appreciation. Instead, he held the back of my knee and folded my thigh gently towards my body. We mewled in time at the next thrust, pushing him deeper than before. A few more intense, wonderful moments passed, and I opened my eyes, wondering when they’d closed. I was feeling too much at once to concentrate on what I could see, until I noticed him staring at my dick. It wasn’t in a particularly awkward way, but even the enthralled, lust-stricken look he pointed at it made me uncomfortable.

He seemed to feel my embarrassment, and he met my gaze. “Sorry,” he said, and a grin pulled at one corner of his lips. “I was just amused because…” he took a deep breath to steady his voice. “I figured out why Jimin used t-to say I gave you ‘blue-balls.’”

My eyes widened as I glanced down towards the dark purple skin around my crotch. After a moment, I laughed. It wasn’t much of a laugh—more of a pathetic shudder that squeaked and resembled a pre-schooler’s bubbly giggle. Hoseok’s hands continued to stroke anywhere he could reach, as lovingly as the way he looked at me. Whenever I glanced at his face, he seemed to be controlling his emotions in some way, and I shook it off as his way of dealing with this. He was doing better than I was.

Enthralled with absolutely everything in that moment, I completely lost track of time. Hoseok’s thrusts were always slow, but became stronger and impossibly deeper until he showed unrestrained signs of finishing. I gripped his arms as trembles climbed across his shoulders. My hips unconsciously met his movements; it hadn’t occurred to me until then just how lewdly I was grinding against him. He moaned, deep and husky, and the coiling in my stomach proved I wouldn’t have to try very hard to follow him over the edge.

My fingers squeezed the base of my cock while I panted to catch my breath. Hoseok pushed in so his hips pressed into my butt, and leant down to kiss my sweaty forehead. “Let me,” he whispered, and that time, I couldn’t refuse him. We were both so far along, and honestly, I’d dreamt about exploding to the feeling of his powers inside me.

I nodded feverishly, and he wasted no time. His long fingers spread out across my flushed red skin, and his palm shot sudden whips of heat through my veins. Pleasure blazed down to my limbs and up my spine. I whined, really whined, until I was an uncontrollable howling mess, pumping my hot flesh until the familiar spasms in my lower body finally peaked.

I had known all along that he would come when I did—so had he—but it still seemed unbelievable. I threw my head back against the pillow, sweat trickled down my face and into my hair, and Hoseok let out a wonderfully blissful sound that would stay with me for the rest of my life.

He moved in the same controlled way while he finished, and I wondered how he managed it. Finally, his movements stopped, as though only then did he realise it was over. My entire body trembled; my eyes were scrunched shut while I tried to come to terms with everything that just happened. Hoseok’s power still coursed gently through me while he pulled back and freed himself from my body, and then he let his hand slide away. Understandably, he collapsed beside me. I could have been content if my life ended then, because not only had that been mind-blowingly amazing, but it proved to us both that I loved and trusted him completely, and that was the most important thing to me.

My mind swirled with questions about what it all meant, and what happens now. Simply to avoid killing the peaceful mood between us, I willed those thoughts away and reached my hand up to inspect the mess we’d made. Ignoring the splashes on my belly, I reached down to the tender skin between my thighs and lower, and sighed harshly at the foreign feeling there. I was sore, to the point where touching shot spikes of agony up my body, but I didn’t stop. My breathing had slowed by then, while I toyed curiously with the mess he left inside me. I grinned to myself, refusing to feel embarrassed about liking that.

Feeling like Hoseok might be confused or curious, I gathered the strength to roll over towards him. I held myself up with my hands on either side of his head.

“Are you satisfied?” he dreamily asked, and I almost snorted with laughter.

“Satisfied?” Just the thought of being anything but wholeheartedly elated in that moment was ridiculous. “I’m euphoric. Hoseok-ah, that was perfect.”

His eyes shimmered, and combined with the sweat across his brow and the redness dusting his cheeks, he looked more delightfully human then than ever. “Perfect? Really?” His voice proved he could hardly believe I’d compliment him so.

“Well,” I began, a cheeky thought forming, and I dragged a finger down his neck and the middle of his chest. “Maybe we should give it another go, just to be sure.”

One of his brows quirked, and his eyes darted to the grin on my lips. It seemed he’d caught on. I was glad, because I wasn’t even slightly ready to let this moment end.

~

By the time my seemingly endless craving was sated, I was so exhausted that I could have fallen back to sleep. Hoseok continued to kiss neat trails down my neck, despite my complete lack of animation. Whichever planet I fell asleep on was not even in the same galaxy as the one on which I woke. It felt like a whole day ago that I blinked myself awake to the feel of strong arms holding me against a bare chest. The alarm I had suffered seemed silly now. Too blissfully fatigued to even care what day it was, I relaxed into the possibility of a few more hours sleep.

“Yoongi-yah.” His tone was a little urgent. I didn’t want to be annoyed at him—I had only just admitted I was in love with him—but he was asking for it, killing my buzz like that.

“What?” I sighed, exasperated.

“Sorry if you wanted to sleep longer, but I think we should head home to check on-” I cut him off as the realisation hit me like lightning.

“JUNGKOOK!”

~

By the time we were on my street, Hoseok already knew exactly what had happened with my brother—I could tell by the grin on his face.

“Don’t say a word,” I warned.

His grin suddenly revealed his teeth, and he looked away from me, mumbling: “I wouldn’t dare.”

I burst through the front door as though I might catch them red-handed doing something they shouldn’t. On the contrary, the Wolf wasn’t anywhere near my brother. I did, however, scare the crap out of Jungkook, who was frying eggs and bacon in the kitchen.

“Hyung,” he gasped, holding his spare hand over his chest. “I almost flipped this egg onto the ceiling.”

“Sorry,” I forced. “Where’s… where’s Jimin?”

Before Jungkook responded, he dropped his eyes back to his breakfast. It hit me somewhere personal to see a small smile spread across his lips and touch his eyes. I didn’t need to ask to know that last night had gone his idea of ‘well.’

“He wanted to stay here, but apparently his friend needed him for something.”

I nodded, and glanced at my Angel when he spoke. “Did he say who? Or what?”

“He said… Taehyung? And something about the full moon.”

My eyes widened when Hoseok’s did. I didn’t understand, but shock on his face was worth being concerned about. Before I could ask, he turned to me and mumbled: “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

With that, he turned and disappeared back out the front door. My jaw hung stupidly. I was glad I hadn’t gotten what I had secretly craved—a goodbye-kiss—because Jungkook was watching me closely.

“How was your night?” he suddenly asked, and my cheeks suddenly inflamed.

“I… I fell asleep before midnight with a stomach ache from overeating.” That was all completely true, though I left out the important parts. “You’re the one that needs to spill, right now.”

Jungkook dropped his face towards the sizzling food again, and his mouth hung slightly open as a light pink crawled across his cheeks.

After a short breath, he let out a long, shuddering breath. “You expected me to agree, didn’t you? That’s why you were so mad at him all the time.”

I didn’t want to answer that. Deep down, I had known Jungkook wouldn’t be able to resist the thrill that such potential danger would bring him, let alone the Werewolf’s heartfelt confession. Jungkook loved that Wolf so unconditionally that I never would have questioned his loyalty to it. There wasn’t really anything left to ask, because if Jungkook hadn’t agreed, he wouldn’t be glowing with too much affection to contain it. He wouldn’t be asking me that question, either.

“I wasn’t really mad; I was just concerned. Jimin isn’t just a Wolf that turns into a human—he’s a Demon. A teeth-and-claws, kills-humans-for-sport, controlled-by-the-moon Demon, and I’ve seen him roughhousing with Taehyung enough to know that he isn’t as gentle and loving as the Wolf you know.”

“He is gentle,” Jungkook countered, though his voice was quiet, and only got softened when he turned the stove off and lifted his eyes to meet mine. “He is loving.”

Unfortunately for the niggling ‘big brother’ in the back of my mind, I desperately needed to let him handle this himself. Besides, the more I begged him to tell me, the more I would be obliged to tell him, and I wasn’t even ready to tell him Hoseok and I had kissed let alone gone all the way… several times… only an hour ago.

After a tense silence—made more confronting by his stern, unwavering gaze—Jungkook turned to dish up his breakfast. I blinked as I watched him, and sighed lightly with defeat.

“As long as you’re happy, Kookie-yah.”

His smile made it seem just that little bit more bearable.

~

I had literally just leant over to Jungkook’s plate to take a bite of it as he held it, when a loud knock on the front door caused us both to jump. Jungkook apologised while he laughed, because in his sudden shock he had half-mashed the egg and bacon into my face. I sighed and wiped at my cheek with tissues as I went to the door.

At the door, I unlocked the latch before bothering to check out the window in case it was some kind of door-knocker. It hadn’t occurred to me, due to my frustration at being ‘egged.’

“Good morning,” said the stranger as I met his eyes, and suddenly, like there was nothing else in the world, I wanted him. The tall stranger became a very attractive stranger, and the small gap between us disappeared as I fell ungracefully against him. “Min Yoongi? Well, you are pretty.” His deep, almost commanding voice did unspeakable things to my body: things I’d only recently recovered from, and not even my brother’s confused call from the living room swayed my attention. “How about you come with me?” he purred, and if he had let me, I would have cut his words off with my mouth.

Entirely primal and shockingly sudden, the intense urges drove me insane with wanting. Without a second—or, in fact, an intention—to wonder why all this took over me, my body slowly caught up with my racing, desperate mind.

“I wonder where your Angel is,” he quietly mused, not that I paid any attention. My reply, if it could be called that, was a breathy whimper.

I followed him out my front door, which he dragged closed behind me. Feverishly—in fact, almost fretfully—I clung to his clothes and shuffled my feet to keep up with him as though letting him leave would somehow be the end of me. My whole body began to burn.

“Now, if you’ll just follow m- oh.” His voice was lost behind a menacing whoosh, and suddenly, everything went blindingly white. I yelped as he spun me to stand in front of him, my back facing the direction of the light. My eyes instinctively scrunched shut, but that didn’t disguise my delight at being held against the rigid body of my current desire. I mewled and pressed myself against him. A split second later, a sharp tingle shot through me, though didn’t at all hurt, and the stranger against which I was pressed suddenly flew backwards as though shoved very harshly.

“DEMONS,” came a livid shout of fury, and other burst of light surrounded us. “DO NOT, EVER…” With the words came blow after blow of powerful light, some travelling around me and some straight through me, and slamming right into the stranger I had, a moment ago, seen for the first time. “…ATTACK! BONDED! HUMANS!”

The sun was shaded for a moment, as I realised I had been freed from the confusing lust of a moment ago. I turned away from the man lying on the ground in my front lawn, and saw a rage-filled Hoseok land behind me. I gaped, lost as to what had happened to his wings, not to mention what had just happened to me.

A growl suddenly dragged my attention back from my Angel to the person behind me. When I turned back to the stranger, he had spouted two short horns from his auburn hair, a pair of huge, bat-like wings, and an agitatedly-whipping tail. As he pushed himself up from the grass, Hoseok stormed past me, his hands drawn back against his body as though he had something to throw.

“I didn't attack him. And bonded or not,” the human-turned-Demon hissed. “That brat has a bounty, and I plan to claim it.”

With a shout, Hoseok hurtled his arms forward, and I shrank back from the burst of light, just realising that he had been the cause of those. The Demon covered his body with an opaque, black wing, and the blow seemed to disperse across its surface. Finally standing, the Demon faced Hoseok in a defensive stance, but the Angel stood tall and shouted in a voice I would never have attached to him.

“You cannot expect me to believe you would risk your life for it!”

“Of course not,” the Demon sneered, and I felt myself shudder at the sight of razor-sharp teeth. “The bounty on your little charge overwrites Lucifer’s protection.”

Hoseok seemed to reel for a moment, and then suddenly he came at his opponent with thrice the force, shouting to punctuate his attacks. “You’re LYING!” he bellowed, and the strength in his voice shuddered through me. The Demon deflected two consecutive attacks, until out of thin air, Hoseok was wielding a thin, gleaming blade, and he slashed with a powerful backhand. The Demon cried out and stumbled, but before I could see where he’d been struck, he spun and leapt. In a few seconds, he was gone entirely, his powerful wings carrying him at supernatural speeds away from the danger that was my protector.

My entire body was in a state of confusion. Shock made my heart thud so fast and hard that I thought I might pass out. Slowly, Hoseok turned towards me, and his dark eyes were shimmering, filled with tears. I gasped as our bodies collided, but soon melted into his embrace.

“I can’t believe I left you. I can’t believe I left you all alone here. I… I…” His voice was soft again as he stroked my hair. My fingers trembled where they gently clung to his jeans.

“Hoseok, your wings,” I began, but he just hushed me and led me inside.

“Hyung!” Jungkook shouted, and was suddenly upon me before we even got the front door closed and locked. “W-what was that? Why were you up against him l-like… like…”

“That was a Demon,” Hoseok grumbled as he pulled my brother and me towards the living room. “A young, stupid Incubus.”

I noticed Jimin glance up at me from the couch beside the one on which Hoseok dragged me down. I figured he was the only reason Jungkook had stayed inside. I hoped he recognised my thankful gaze.

Hoseok’s hand on the small of my back reminded me about something that only just began to make sense in my mind. “An Incubus? Ohhh dear that explains… ohh my.”

Hoseok wiped at his eyes, drawing my attention once again to his tears, but all I could do was stare. I could hardly handle my brother crying, and I was sure an awkward back-patting accompanied by a ‘there, there’ was not going to do any good. He turned to me, and I realised just how heartbreaking his pain was.

“Yoongi, I was wrong.”

His voice shuddered, and I recognised real fear in his usually-so-calm eyes. “Wrong about...?” I asked quietly, and I wondered if this was something I wanted to discus around the younger two.

“Being able to keep you safe,” he breathed, more tears following the original streaks down his round cheeks. “It means nothing to him…”

“What if he was lying, Hoseok?” Jimin offered. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“What if he wasn’t?” So horribly distraught was my Angel that I felt a breakdown of my own begin to build up in my chest.

“M-maybe we’re blowing this way out of proportion. Can we talk about it later?” My voice trembled and I cleared my throat. Maybe, if I could calm him down, he’d be able to think straight. More importantly, he’d stop crying.

“Good idea,” Jimin said, and with an encouraging hand on Hoseok’s knee, he stood and wrapped his fingers around Jungkook’s arm. My brother rose up from the couch and reached out to pet Hoseok’s hair. He didn’t say anything as he walked away, but just gave us a sympathetic, still slightly traumatised look. I was somewhat alarmed at the thought of Jimin dragging him off to his bedroom, but I let it be, especially with the problem in front of me demanding my immediate attention.

“Should we… do some training?” I asked gently. If anything, I wanted to distract him. Giving him something to focus on would also help me get over my third potentially-harmful Demon attack. Right then, if Hoseok continued to sit there and cry, I would lose it entirely. “Please,” I begged.

His eyes slid up to mine, and my heart broke even more. The tightness in my chest caused a shudder to spread throughout me, and my fingers twitched to do something. “Whatever you want,” he whispered in a way that connoted his inability to speak any louder.

I pursed my lips and shook my head, refusing to let him prioritise me over himself. “What do you want to do?” I asked, hoping it sounded forceful enough that he wouldn’t give me his ‘you’re all that matters’ lecture.

For a moment, I was sure he was going to, but thankfully, he just sighed, a defeated sound that made my brows crease harder. “I want to figure this out. I want to talk to somebody who will help me. I want to keep you safe…”

“That Demon didn’t stand a chance against you, Hoseok-ah—you didn’t even break a sweat. What makes you think I’m not safe?”

“I promised you it would be different when we bonded. I said you’d be safe, and the bounty would be void.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I began, but tension climbed up my limbs like hungry snakes of uncontrollable emotion. I didn’t want to feel afraid because of this. I had only just begun to believe I might finally be able to feel completely safe and happy with the one whom I loved.

“I shouldn’t have convinced you,” he moaned, and I felt my brows pinch angrily.

“No, okay, no. Do not do this now. I don’t regret my decision, and I’d only be miserable if you tried to convince me to. We haven’t talked about this enough yet, Hoseok. I don’t understand what it means to be bonded to you, or why your wings are black, or what any of this is supposed to mean… Before you go regretting anything, can we just… when we have time later, can we talk about it?”

Hoseok’s tears seemed to have stopped. He stared at his hands, his expression heavy and totally unguarded. Cautiously, as though I hadn’t already given my body to him only hours earlier, I raised my hand and gently touched his hair. My heart clenched as he leant into the touch, seeming much too vulnerable to be the supernatural guardian I knew so well. As with every show of weakness, it only made me fall even harder. My pulse stuttered and jumped in my veins.

I needed to say something, and Jungkook emerging from his bedroom was my cue. “Let’s not talk about this now, okay? I have class later, and it’ll only stress us both out.”

Hoseok nodded in agreement, albeit a slow, sad motion. “I don’t have anybody to talk to about these things anymore,” he said, glancing down and turning his hand palm-up. He spoke again, looking at the symbol on his wrist. I’d begun to take notice of it recently, since he spoke about to me a few days ago, and only then did I realise that it had changed. No longer darkened like a burn, it was no more than a very Human-looking scar. It was still perfectly shaped like whatever rounded symbol it had been.

“It changed,” I observed, and Hoseok nodded slowly, not lifting his eyes. 

“It used to symbolise that I was here to protect you, but I still belonged to Heaven. Now it’s… just a scar.”

He met my eyes when the obvious agony of it made me cringe. “But... we will talk about it later, as you wish.”

I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but I felt so guilty. I wondered if that would ever change. 

~

I showered, long and steamy, to calm me down before class. When back in my bedroom, Hoseok watched me pick an outfit, which I deliberately took my time doing. “Can I stay with you when you go to class from now on?” The Angel asked quietly. I blinked a few times before I shrugged. 

“Sure, I suppose. I think I’d feel safer that way… And… Maybe girls will stop hitting on me if they see me with you.”

Hoseok watched me move around my room, collecting things for class, throwing on random accessories and trying on a few beanies before settling for a hat instead. When I was ready, I beckoned for him to come. I hadn’t expected him to pull me into a warm embrace, but my tense, sterile mood suddenly melted away as I leant unashamedly into his chest. For a few moments, I clung to the fabric of his white long-sleeve T and filled my lungs deep gulps of his addictive musk.

~

Thoughts—mostly worries—swirled around in my head during my lecture. Hoseok hadn’t smiled since early in the morning, and I missed the serene expression. I hated that this was a small, personal lecture, and I couldn’t be with him; class seemed like such a waste of time while there was so much else going on in my life. 

“Mister Min...”

It took me two entire seconds to realise the Professor was addressing me. 

“Oh, yes?” I said awkwardly. I hadn’t spoken more than a few words of English for a long time, and I wasn’t sure I trusted my ability to understand him enough to answer a question. 

“You haven’t really been here with us for the entire class, have you?” 

I swallowed thickly, my cheeks beginning to heat up when I realised my classmates were glancing over at me. Ancient Art History had always been an interactive lecture, and I knew most of the students’ names. The lecturer knew me personally since his son went to school with Jungkook. It was the one class in which I’d prefer not to embarrass myself. 

“Did you hear my question at all?”

“C-could you repeat it, please?” I asked slowly, quietly, and entirely without confidence. 

With a look of disapproval, the Professor turned to the majority of the class and asked his question again. I buried myself in my seat and willed my cheeks to cool down. This was really not a good time for me to be thinking about study. 

As we packed up to leave the lecture hall, our Professor ‘reminded’ us about our exam next week. I must have missed that memo, because the news hit me like a tsunami. Exam? Next week? Since when? I rushed past Hoseok in the hall on my way out and gasped when he took my hand. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly, and I shook my head.

“It’s okay. I’m just…”

While I searched for the word, he pulled me into a slower walk beside him. “Tense?” he tried. I nodded. “I noticed. What happened?”

“I heard about an exam that I’m not at all ready for… I’ll have to study this week, like, really study.”

We walked him quietly, hand in hand, me stewing over yet another source of stress. Finally when we walked into the house together I saw his smile. More than anything, I was relieved beyond all reason just to see that expression. 

“So, how was class really?” he asked as he closed and locked the door behind me. “I heard you speak to the lecturer.”

Ignoring how stalkerish that could have sounded, I groaned. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I couldn’t concentrate on anything…”

“Why not?” He seemed highly concerned by that, and his brows pinched together while he watched me put my bag down and untie my shoes. 

“I was worried about you,” I said, but it didn’t occur to me how that would affect him. I looked up after a silence and froze with my shoe half off. His handsome face was contorted in confusion and disbelief. “What did you expect?” I began. “You’ve been so upset today… It’s all I can think about.”

“Yoongi, I… I’m sorry. You shouldn’t worry about me, please.”

I made a noise like what he said was completely preposterous, because it was. “Hoseok-ah, there is only one thing on this planet I care about as much as you, and that’s Jungkook. If either of you are upset, I’m not going to just forget about it.”

I glanced around for a second, kicking my other shoe off as I realised Jungkook was probably on his way home from his evening shift at the diner, and Jimin must have been out as well. “Hoseok, I love you… like crazy. Like, really stupid crazy. Seeing you so afraid and upset today was traumatising. I’m not saying you should be strong all the time, but… I guess I’m just used to that. I’m… I’m really sorry this—what we did this morning—didn’t work the way you wanted, but that doesn’t mean I regret it or anything. It kinda worked, right? We bonded. And… I guess that makes me happy. I just don’t want you to be… afraid. That scares me a lot.”

He gave me a look like he could hardly trust my words—as though it was too good to believe. I understood that entirely; just saying I loved him didn’t seem real. It even felt funny saying it to Jungkook, and I was sure I didn’t say it enough. 

A few moments passed while he watched me, and I wasn’t sure what I expected. “Don’t be scared, Yoongi-yah. The last thing I want is for you to feel like that. And… I’m happy we bonded too.”

It was the first time we could really talk about it, and then Jungkook arrived home. 

“Hyung, what’s for dinner?” he asked before even closing the door. 

I felt my brows pinch together in frustration. “Hey, I’m great. Class was fun and I had a nice walk home, thanks.”

Jungkook stared at me while guilt crawled into his features. “Sorry, I’m just hungry.”

“Well, order take-out,” I grumbled. “I have to study.”

Without another word, Jungkook dragged his Nikes into his bedroom; his door swung shut with a bang. 

Hoseok sent me a confused look and I just rolled my eyes. “I really do need to study, but… I should make him dinner.”

“What is take-out? Is it unhealthy?” 

I sighed at Hoseok’s question. I hadn’t ordered take-out since we were rather new to The States, so never since Hoseok was around. I always found time to cook, so it never seemed necessary. 

“It’s just food prepared in a store and delivered here ready to eat. Its nutritional value depends on what he orders.”

“Stores will make you food and deliver it? Why don’t you always get take-out?”

I smiled genuinely and covered my face with my hands. “It’s more expensive, and it’s lazy. He’s lazy enough as it is.”

“Just this one night,” Hoseok suddenly suggested, and he took my hands. 

The quiet opening of Jungkook’s door made me pull my hands back from his gentle hold. I felt warmth rise in my cheeks and tried to avoid Hoseok’s confused glance. 

“Don’t mind me,” Jungkook mumbled, and then my cheeks began to burn. I couldn’t say anything, because any sort of defensive denial would connote reasons for my embarrassment. I just waited for him to rummage in the fridge and then saunter back into his room. 

“Is this a secret?” Hoseok whispered, and I groaned. 

“Let me sort out dinner, then we can talk about this, your wings, our bond, take-out, anything.”

Hoseok nodded, that adoring look of understanding manifesting in a handsome smile that turned his eyes to crescents. I choked back the urge to kiss him. 

~ 

We ordered take out, and it wasn’t healthy, but one night of cheese-and-bacon-stuffed pizza crust and garlic bread wasn’t going to clog our arteries. It made Jungkook happy, since he could eat like a horse and still not finish it all, and it gave me time to spend a couple of hours on my readings before and during dinner. Afterwards, I decided to push back the study for just one night, because there was way too much to talk about, and Hoseok had waited long enough. 

I made sure Jungkook wasn’t around when, once I had prepared for bed, I pulled the Angel into my room. Jimin had come home, and it was the first night he’d be alone with Jungkook since they’d bonded. He looked cautiously at me when Hoseok let him in, and I greeted him casually to ease his apprehension. I didn’t want to act like I wasn’t concerned, but there was nothing he could do to Jungkook now that he hadn’t already done. I knew by the way my brother trotted eagerly up to him that he had been nothing but gentle and loving last night, and I glanced away when I could tell they were going to kiss. I didn’t need to be reminded that Jungkook was now permanently spirit-bonded with his pet. 

Usually at this time, Hoseok would watch TV with my brother while I studied or cleaned, or if he was alone, he’d lie on his bed in the study. I wasn’t sure what he did in there apart from read my old comic books. Now that Jungkook was entirely distracted in his room, I could have this evening alone with Hoseok without worrying that Jungkook would assume we were up to something. 

“What should we talk about first?” I asked, getting comfortable on the black covers of my queen-sized bed. Hoseok sat across from me and took a moment to think, looking right in my eyes. I didn’t feel like it was ever going to get easier to be around such celestial attractiveness.

“About my wings… I had seriously said goodbye to them. I thought I would literally lose them...”

“Does that mean that our bond didn’t work? Or maybe that it’s different?”

Hoseok shook his head, dropped his eyes, and moved his hand to take mine. He played with my fingers, as though he needed the distraction. “It worked—I can feel how well it worked.”

Anticipation and a hint of anxiety built up in my chest. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I noticed first this morning… when you said you loved me. That’s when you made the decision. You shone brighter than ever, like an excited little star.”

My heart jumped, and I forcefully held back a complaint at his patronising description. His voice was too full of adoration, and he couldn’t hold back a bitter-sweet smile.

“From then and for a while, it was like physically falling… like Heaven was pushing me out. I felt… I don’t know how to explain this to you… I felt like I was losing control of my power; like my Maker was confiscating it. I was scared, because I thought I was losing everything. My… my sight, if you can refer to my sixth sense in that way, is so dark now. I feel blinded, and it’s frightening.”

Much like every other long talk Hoseok and I’d had, I regretted even letting him begin. It was alarming and confronting that he would say such things, since he knew it worried me; however, I was glad he was finally honest with me.

“I can’t believe I just assumed you were safe when I went to check on Taehyung. I didn’t stop to consider that both Jungkook and you were alone in the house. When I felt the effect of that Incubus, I instinctively decided to fly back to help you, forgetting I had supposedly lost my wings. It wasn’t until you mentioned it that I realised I still had them when I was so sure I wouldn’t. But, at the time, I couldn’t concentrate on that at all…”

“Don’t think about that right now,” I urged, lifting my other hand to hold his.

He nodded gently and continued. “With such dampened access to power… I can hardly feel you anymore.” He let that sink in for a few moments, waiting for the shock to ease from my features. “I suppose that wouldn’t be such a bad thing for you; you hated it when I felt everything so clearly.”

“I got used to it,” I assured him. “But it was always the cause for me to snap at you or block you out. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

My attempt to reassure him made him nod. “Maybe.”

A few long moments passed while I played with his hands. I didn’t realise I’d even began.

“Is that all?” I asked, hoping there was no more sinister news.

“It’s just so different now,” he began, shaking his head slightly, his dark eyes locked on our hands. “I feel like there will be more to discover about being bound to Earth with you.”

The way he talked about it was not at all affectionate, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. “I’m sorry,” I began. “I’m sure—compared to Heaven—it’s awfully dark down here for your powers, but I promise there’s light here too.”

Hoseok’s brows pinched with obvious pain, and he dragged his eyes to mine. With a heavy sigh, he hung his head and leant until it pressed to my shoulder. He was trying so hard to be strong, but I was glad he was honest instead.

I pulled my hands from his and eased his face away from me until I could look at him. “Somebody will be able to help you, Hoseok-ah… I know it.” I tilted my head and attempted a smile. “For now, don’t let it worry you, please. I feel safer now that I’ve seen you fight, and you’ve never let anything bad happen to me.”

“But I told you that you’d be safe if-”

“I know,” I interjected, “but it doesn’t matter. The Demons were after me before all of this as well, and you still kept me safe. I trust you. Just forget about it until we can find somebody to talk to.” I hadn’t thought of who (or what) might know about a Fallen Angel, but the point right now was just to calm him down.

“Okay,” he whispered, and he covered my hands with his. “You… seemed to dislike it when Jungkook saw me holding your hands.”

“Yes…” I admitted. “I haven’t told him that we’re together, that we’re bonded, or… that I love you. I don’t want him to think I’m hiding it from him, and think it’s something I’m ashamed of or embarrassed about. I want to tell him before he just assumes.”

“So, until you tell him, we have to act like we’re not bonded?”

“I’ll… I’ll tell him in the morning.” After a heavy sigh, I pulled the thick quilt over my legs and snuggled into its warmth. “I don’t ever want to get out of this bed…” I mumbled contently.

I watched lazily as Hoseok’s eyes took in my comfortable pose and then shifted so his legs were over the side.

With a deep breath in, he stood up. “I’ll leave you to sleep.”

My brows pinched and I reached out to take his hand. “Don’t… I-I…” Hoseok noticed my distress, and cocked his head cutely like a confused puppy. He sank back down as though the gentle tug on his arm was enough to persuade him. “Can you stay with me?” I asked quietly. I shouldn’t have been embarrassed to ask.

“Of course,” he said as he got comfortable again in the place he had been, but I didn’t want him there. I wanted him beside me, under the blanket, holding me in the way I’d craved for the entire day. He watched me with curious eyes as I pulled him close. I shivered from the way he crawled towards me, his strong limbs holding him over me until he was close enough to kiss. My breath left me at his closeness; I could hardly make out his handsome features through my lidded eyes. I didn’t care for a second how my days played out, as long as every evening ended like this.

~


	22. Earth-Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

“Can you stay with me?”

The question caught me unawares. I didn’t want to leave him at all, but when he looked like he needed sleep, I wouldn’t stay if it meant I would keep him awake. His asking me to stay seemed to embarrass him, which, for a moment, was confusing. This embarrassment, however, was familiar and rather endearing. I knew about his shyness in regards to his affection—his love—for me. It was just another one of the cute things about him that I adored.

Nervously at first—once we had laid ourselves under his covers—Yoongi’s fingers brushed my shoulder. I relaxed, knowing he would go at his own pace. Maybe he would eventually become comfortable initiating touches between us, and this hesitance would be a thing of the past. It didn’t bother me in the meantime; I was used to patience.

Yoongi laid close so that there was little space between us, and his body faced mine tensely. His hair splayed cutely across his black pillow, and his tired eyes blinked slowly while he watched his fingers move. His skin looked so much whiter while surrounded by the blackness of his covers.

“Will you sleep?” Yoongi asked, his voice soft.

“No, not so soon after last time. I need to stay awake to keep my attention on you and the area around the house.”

Yoongi’s eyes drifted downwards, nodding very slightly. “I really do feel safer now that I saw you fight off that Demon, you know.” My eyes swept over his face, and he glanced up to meet my gaze. “I could never have imagined you fighting before, even if it was for me.”

“Fending Hyosang off was hardly fighting, Yoongi-yah. He’s weak for an Incubus, and Incubi are not very powerful Demons in the first place.”

With slightly wider eyes, he asked: “then which Demons are powerful?”

“It depends,” I began, knowing he would be frustrated by my cryptic answer, so I did my best to explain. “‘Powerful’ and ‘dangerous’ are two separate things when you consider your safety around them. Some of the most powerful Demons do not even seek to harm humans, like Werewolves.”

“They never hurt humans?”

“Not intentionally. During the full moon, they can become a larger threat than almost any other Demon. Like Vampires, they’re a ‘second attempt’ at Demon creation, so they’re… improved.”

“And Vampires are dangerous too?”

“Undoubtedly, and they do seek to attack humans. I still do not know a great deal about them, but from what I know, they disguise their hunts as a form of play. Their hunting involves challenges and gambling between their covens, and humans are their number one prey. Young Vampires get away with feeding off unmarked humans by persuading their elders to take their prey’s memories. That way, the human remains unmarked and, although mysteriously left with scars, they can return to their normal lives. This sort of hunting slips under the radar with those who might see human attacks as breaking laws.”

“Vampires sound like assholes.”

I chuckled. “I won’t dissuade you from that conclusion.”

A long silence followed, and Yoongi’s fingers traced patterns across my skin wherever he could reach. He seemed to become more and more adorably sleepy, but his brow creased slightly when a thought came to him. “The Hunters you talked about: might they know something about Angels and… and falling?”

“Possibly,” I said quietly, though the thought rattled around in my mind for a while. I didn’t want him to stay awake because of my presence, so I decided to push these thoughts away until the morning, or at least until he slept soundly. I watched him silently while his movements became gradually heavier. Eventually, his eyes closed, and I was sure he didn’t quite mean to fall asleep so suddenly. I gently kissed his forehead and pulled him close. The hardest challenge now was keeping myself from succumbing to complete and utter blissful relaxation so that I wouldn’t sleep.

~

First thing in the morning, after making a feast of a breakfast, Yoongi sat Jungkook down in the living room to catch him up on everything. He told him about the Hunters, and about his bond with me. Jungkook was as curious, accepting, and easy-going about it all as he was about anything. I realised why Yoongi had kept it from Jungkook; the younger teased him for a good five minutes. As for the news about the Hunters, and about Yoongi’s bounty, Jungkook was as full of questions as his Hyung. I helped him answer them, alongside Jimin, but there were always things none of us could answer.

“Why aren’t they simply swarming here in hoards if they want your life so badly?” Jungkook asked, and Jimin and I shared a look.

“Maybe,” Jimin began, “they assume Hoseok’s presence connotes the protection of all of Heaven. What the Angels lack in numbers, they make up in strength.”

Jungkook looked at me curiously. “So you’re actually really powerful?”

“I used to be,” I said, sounding more morbid than I planned. “It’s different now…”

“Now that…” he began, and I didn’t raise my eyes from the couch. “You’ve fallen?”

“Yes,” I whispered, a hard lump in my throat.

I felt Yoongi’s gaze on me, and a slight pang of empathetic pain. I knew if I was feeling it at all that he felt it stronger than I did, because now, everything felt so much weaker. I didn’t want him to feel bad at all; this was so far from how it was supposed to turn out. I knew Heaven would retaliate and cut me off, but I couldn’t have known just how much of my power was never even mine in the first place.

“Then what are we going to do to stay safe?”

Jungkook’s question was exactly what I needed to figure out. Jimin leant over the back of the couch and gripped his human’s shoulders. “Leave that up to us,” the Wolf murmured into the boy’s hair. Jungkook leant into Jimin’s touch like he depended on it. I knew I was lucky to have an ally like Jimin. I just hoped there were more like him around willing to help me work this out.

~

Yoongi dawdled lazily on the walk back from his morning class. It was around lunch time now, and he’d apparently had a stressful confrontation with a peer. He refused to talk about it, claiming it wasn’t important, so I held onto his hand while he scuffed his feet in a slow walk along the path home.

“Oh look, Hoseok-ah, it’s one of Jungkook’s work-mates.”

Yoongi’s voice made my eyes flick to him, and then follow his gaze. Ahead on the path was a tall, thin boy who looked older than Jungkook simply because of his height, and behind him, a much shorter boy with bright hair and a broad frame. The taller was suddenly forgotten about when I recognised the other.

My jaw dropped and I froze, accidentally pulling Yoongi into a shocked halt. “Moon Jongup,” I said quietly, and Yoongi turned to me mumbling ‘what?’

“Hoseok?” The short blonde’s familiar features caused a cacophony of emotions to crash like thunder inside me. Confusion, relief, shock and disbelief, and probably some I had yet to name, Jongup’s handsome smile caused one to cover my face as well. The metres between us disappeared in the seconds it took us to collide.

After squeezing my fellow’s solid frame for a few moments, I pulled him back and held him by his shoulders. He hadn’t returned the embrace with as much enthusiasm, but he still laughed joyfully, an infectious smile lighting up his handsome features.

“I didn’t know you were around here…” Jongup trailed off, looking down my body with searching eyes. “I… we have so much to talk about.” He spoke so carefully, alerting me immediately that there were things he couldn’t say in front of humans.

I couldn’t contain my excitement, but was distracted when I realised Yoongi had struck up a conversation with the taller boy. He glanced over at me, probably feeling my gaze. My hands dropped from Jongup’s shoulders as Yoongi’s tone changed.

“This is Hoseok,” he said to the boy, “my friend from Uni.” I received a short bow and a friendly smile. “Hoseok-ah, this is Yooncheol.” I gave him a bow and attempted to contain my smile.

Yooncheol turned to Jongup when he spoke. “So, how do you two know each other?”

“We…” Jongup began. “We go a long way back.”

That wasn’t a lie, either. Jongup and I spent all three of our learning terms together, and although I wouldn’t call him a friend in the way I would Jimin or Taehyung, I had known him for many years longer than anybody else on Earth. He was the first Angel I’d met down here, and I was beyond excited.

Yoongi gave me a look like he’d figured it out, but covered it quickly with a polite smile. “What are you two up to, then?” Yoongi asked Yooncheol. “Do you have work today?”

The boy shook his head. “Not today. Hyung and I were just going to get some lunch, since nobody is home and I’m incapable of preparing edible food.”

Yoongi chuckled sweetly. “You have a lot in common with Jungkook.”

The taller boy smiled at that, and suddenly perked up. “Are you busy? You’re welcome to join us for lunch. Those two had such a reunion I can’t bear to pull them apart.”

“Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi said, and I raised my brows. “Do you want to eat?”

“I’d love to,” I said with a smile, but it wasn’t the eating that excited me. Any chance to talk with Jongup was a chance I was not going to miss out on.

~

I walked with my Angel friend a fair few paces behind the humans, which gave us the option of speaking quietly enough to not be heard, should we wish to. We began talking in a casual tone, and Jongup recited a few falsities for what I assumed was his ‘alias.’ I wasn’t sure at this point if it was because Yooncheol didn’t know about him, or because he wasn’t sure if Yoongi knew. I was sure he could tell he was marked, but that didn't mean he knew. Either way, as soon as I thought we had exchanged enough fake pleasantries to not seem suspicious, I lowered my voice and asked something real.

“Is this your first assignment?”

Jongup held my eyes for a few moments, glanced ahead at Yooncheol, and then back at me. He shook his head once, a sort of nervous look about him. “I was a guardian up in Heaven until I was enlisted for Yooncheol. It’s more difficult than I thought.”

I smiled sincerely. “I can empathise.”

“But Hoseok… I can’t… I can’t feel you here, at all,” he suddenly said, and I realised his mood-change was related to his confusion about things he couldn’t discuss around the human.

His words made me a little concerned. “Even now that you know it’s me? You still can’t…”

“Yes… your spirit feels Earth-bound; it’s like you’re human.”

My face fell; I couldn’t help it. “I feel like we have a lot to talk about,” I almost whispered.

“What happened?”

After a long hesitation, a glance up at Yoongi, and a slow, deep breath, I looked back at Jongup. “I am Earth-bound.”

Jongup stared, dumbfound, disbelieving, and suddenly his eyes went glassy and unfocused like he wasn’t quite looking at me anymore, but right through me. I felt him easily: his gentle spirit touching curiously at the edges of mine. It had been much too long since I felt anything of that nature, especially in such a controlled, unobtrusive way. Jongup’s head shook gently from side to side, his expression a mask of utter disbelief.

He had no words, and I didn’t blame him.

I tried to explain myself, but it wouldn’t make much sense without the entire story. “I don’t want to think of it as a mistake, because... I do love him. But I’m not sure it was a wise decision.”

“Your…” Jongup paused when he realised his voice was a little loud, and he lowered it. “Your wings…”

“Still as fully-functional and trustworthy as ever, I assure you.”

Jongup continued to stare with a just-as-astounded expression. “Remarkable.”

I was suddenly pulled from my reminiscing. “Hoseok-ah, in here.” Yoongi and Yooncheol had turned into a small cafe, and I had been about to pass it. I met his eyes as Jongup and I turned to follow them inside. Yoongi stopped and beckoned for Jongup to pass.

As I stepped up the last stair into the cafe, Yoongi pulled me close to whisper in my ear in an elegantly subtle way. “Is he an Angel?”

The way his lips brushed my skin made me want to kiss him. “He is,” I whispered back.

A slow smile spread across his lips, and hope crossed his features. I had known Jongup ten times as long as Yoongi had lived, but my human’s smile was still my favourite.

“So, does Yooncheol know...?”

“No,” I said with a slight shake of my head, and Yoongi glanced over to where Jongup and Yooncheol had chosen to sit. “So we’ll be acting until he isn’t around.”

“You’re used to that, I guess,” Yoongi said with a smirk as he began walking towards the chosen table. I simply smiled and followed him to go sit down.

Lunch turned into afternoon-tea, and Yoongi seemed to be treating the other human more like a friend than an acquaintance after so many hours chatting. Nobody seemed to want the cheerful gathering to end, so nobody suggested it. Yooncheol excused himself to use the bathroom once he’d finished his second drink, and I felt the mood around us change the moment he was out of earshot.

Immediately, before I could even get a word in, Yoongi turned to Jongup. “Is Yooncheol your charge? Your mission? Your human?” The words tumbled excitedly from him in a hushed tone that was conscious of others in the cafe.

Jongup’s brows rose. He must have picked up that Yoongi was the human to which I was bonded, but such boldness took him unawares. “Y-yes,” the Angel answered. “But he’s unmarked.”

“So Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi said quickly. I assumed he was rushing to get out as much as possible before the other human returned. “Jongup-shi might be able to help us!”

“Help you?” Jongup said before I could reply.

“Yoongi-yah,” I urgently interjected. “We can talk about this another time. I don’t expect Jongup to risk his loyalty like that for me.”

Yoongi’s sweet face fell. Too anyone else, it might have seemed like a deadpan mask, but even without his disappointment gently washing through me, I would have known that expression for what it was.

After a moment, he dropped his eyes to the myriad of empty plates and cups on our table, and he nodded like he understood. I reached across the table and took his hand. He squeezed mine for just a moment, meeting my eyes for second to convey the worry he was feeling, as well as to let me know that he was sorry for his intrusive assumption. I wouldn’t have minded if it was an assumption based around myself, but Jongup may not be as accepting of the decision to shun our Maker.

While this exchange happened between Yoongi and me, Jongup sat in awkward silence, just watching us. He seemed hesitant to give any input, probably since he knew very little at this point. I turned to him and noticed his mark, blackening a small patch of his wrist. It made me glance down at mine.

Yoongi must have noticed. “What does that symbol mean, anyway?” he asked after glancing around to ensure we were still able to talk.

“Mine is Tau-Zeta,” I began. “It’s the symbol for my surname… it’s used to bind anybody with my spirit lines.”

Jongup seemed to understand that Yoongi was curious about his as well. “Mu,” he said softly, glancing up as well to check his human was not in sight. “My family is ‘Moon,’ so my symbol is Mu.” Jongup indicated his curvy, u-shaped mark for a moment, and Yoongi nodded in understanding. “it’s my second mark; my first is a simple circle to represent the guardians of Heaven. It’s on my shoulder.”

“You were a guardian of Heaven?” Yoongi asked, his eyes widening.

Jongup nodded curtly. “It was not a difficult job. Adjusting to Earth is much more difficult.” His voice trailed off a little as his eyes shot up to catch Yooncheol as he returned.

“What were you guys talking about?” the boy asked as he settled into his seat beside Jongup.

“Just the past,” Jongup answered quickly, and I nodded absently.

“We go a long way back,” I added, even if Jongup had already pointed it out. Yooncheol nodded with a small smile.

“It’s getting dark,” Yoongi suddenly stated, and I glanced over to find him leaning his head on his hand, staring out the window beside the table. I smiled at his pretty side-profile.

“Aish, it is,” Jongup’s human agreed. “I should be getting back home.”

Yoongi hummed. “I’ll walk with you.”

We paid and exited, which took a while, since we had ordered more food and drinks than I remembered. Once outside, Yoongi’s teeth suddenly chattered, and I rushed to somehow warm him. My hand pressed to his back, and with a slight draw of power, I managed to soothe his coldness with enough subtlety that he could internalise his reaction. I felt his surprise, just slightly, but nobody else seemed to notice.

“Boy, it is cold tonight,” Yooncheol said with a shiver. I glanced at Jongup; my friend had his eyes on his charge like he couldn’t bear to let him suffer for a second longer. I knew that look—felt it in my soul.

I was less surprised than Yooncheol when Jongup shrugged out of his jacket and began tugging it up the human’s arms.

“I-I’m fine, really,” Yooncheol said, his voice bordering on amused. “You’ll freeze, Hyung.”

“No, take it; I’m warm.” His voice was laced with a love I could never have understood before I met Yoongi.

Yooncheol hugged himself inside Jongup’s jacket, and after a moment, he mumbled ‘thanks.’ I could feel from Yooncheol that he was thankful, but I could tell right away that he didn’t return the Angel’s adoration. He clearly liked his Hyung, but in a placid way, quite like the way he liked Yoongi. He chatted with my human for a while, and Jongup and I dropped back to talk some more.

“How long have you been down here?” I asked quietly.

“It’s… difficult to say. Maybe... A couple of weeks?”

“Earth time is strange, I know. He accepts you, though. That’s good.”

Jongup nodded thoughtfully. “He’s happy around me, which makes me happy.”

“I know the feeling.”

We smiled at each other until he glanced ahead at the happily chatting humans. I looked forward as well, suddenly picking up on Yooncheol’s side of the conversation.

“Ho… Hoseok, is it?” he said, and Yoongi nodded. When the boy continued, his voice was even more of a quiet tone. “He looks at you like… like Jongup Hyung looks at me… I’ve never seen anyone else look at me like that.” Clearly, the younger human was not aware that we could hear.

I nudged Jongup so he would pay attention as well, and Yoongi spoke next. “I noticed too; he seems to really care about you.”

Yooncheol nodded. “He’s a good Hyung. Just… weird sometimes.”

Yoongi laughed, and I noticed that it wasn’t his usual polite laugh—it was one that I only heard when he was really amused. A moment later, I realised why; he remembered when I was ‘weird,’ and of course he would find it amusing. I shook my head.

“I have so much to ask you,” Jongup said quietly. I glanced at him, glad he said it, because I too had so much to ask.

“Do you stay with Yooncheol?”

“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “He lives with his family. I protect his house from outside.”

“That’s what I did for a while,” I said, and glanced up when I noticed the boys had stopped.

“This is your street, right?” Yooncheol asked. “Jongup Hyung will walk with me the rest of the way.”

“Okay,” Yoongi said with a cheerful smile. “I had fun today, Yooncheol-ah. Get home safe.”

“I will. Nice to meet you, Hoseok-shi.”

“Nice to meet you,” I replied with a short bow, and Jongup gripped my shoulder for a moment before turning to join his human. With one last bow at Yoongi—which my human returned quite politely—they began down the lamp-lit path, side by side.

I joined Yoongi, reaching out for his hand when he smiled softly at me. “I wonder why he has an Angel,” he mused.

“I’ll speak with him soon—he’s curious about my falling.”

Yoongi perked up. “He is?”

“Of course. In Heaven, we’re taught that there’s no greater mistake. Falling is made to seem like a death-sentence.”

For a few silent moments, Yoongi stared at me, confusion, or maybe bewilderment, in his pretty features. “But… it’s not really that bad, right?”

“Not that I can tell,” I said, and a small smile tugged at my lips. “It’s as though we were taught to live and behave in a way that would turn us into ideal soldiers of Heaven, created only to serve. I’m sure that living our lives in the way we would like to is not on their agenda for us at all.”

“So you think… they manipulate the truth to keep you faithful?”

I hesitated before nodding once. “It’s almost painful to think it but… yes, I think you’re correct.”

“That’s bullshit.”

I chuckled at his stubborn curse, feeling his sympathy rolling from him in waves. It was getting more familiar to feel his sympathy, and—selfishly—I liked it.

~

A little earlier than Yoongi would usually think about sleep, I caught him dozing off in front of the television. Having finished tutoring Jungkook in English, I crept over to him, simply to sit on the adjacent couch and watch him. I smiled, watching his dreaming face as the light from the TV flickered across his pale skin. Whenever he slept in an uncomfortable position, his lips would be shut tight, a stark contrast to the head-back, jaw-gaping expression he had when he fell asleep in his bed.

Jimin, who had been out with Taehyung for most of the evening, suddenly scratched on the door, and just as Jungkook leapt up to let him in, Yoongi jolted awake. His eyes met mine for just a second before he brought his hands up to rub at them.

“Did I fall asleep?” he croaked. I nodded. “I was in the middle of formulating a plan and everything…”

My head cocked to the side curiously. “What sort of plan?”

“Well, you want to talk to Jongup, and he wants to talk to you, but we can’t talk while Yooncheol is around, and neither of you will leave our sides long enough to discuss anything substantial. The only way this can work is if I come with you to his house, and then you Angels can be out back, watching the house and discussing important business.”

Jungkook had blurted out a curious “Yooncheol?” the moment Yoongi had said it, but my human ignored it, rushing to finish his sentence before he forgot where he was going with it. Now, the kid was draped over the back of the couch on which I sat, physically inserting himself into our conversation.

“Yes,” Yoongi said, glancing seriously at his brother. “Yooncheol. Your work-buddy happens to, like myself, have an Angel, but he’s in a situation where he’s not supposed to find out.”

“Oh…” Jungkook breathed. “Why?”

With that, Yoongi glanced at me for help, and I turned to face his brother. “It seems Yooncheol’s protection is possible without having to ‘mark’ him. Heaven seems to have enlisted Jongup just to watch over his charge.”

Jungkook considered this carefully, and his hyperactive mind came back with his own idea of an explanation. “So, you introduced yourself to Yoongi only because he was basically already marked, right? And Yooncheol Hyung isn’t?”

“Basically,” I said with a smile.

“Okay… so I should maybe invite him over here sometime, then?”

Yoongi stared at his brother for a few seconds and then turned his gaze on me, an epiphany in his eyes. Jungkook smirked and I laughed.

“Yes,” Yoongi said after a moment. “You’re brilliant.”

Jungkook pushed himself up into a confident stance and brushed his shoulder. Yoongi rolled his eyes and then slowly stood. “Let’s go to bed,” he whispered to me, and I glanced back to catch Jungkook chuckling to himself as he went to join Jimin in his bedroom.

~


	23. Dark & Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

[ ](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c7f99564390a7dba1bb9fbdce0e357dc/tumblr_naj6jf0ssm1r1yhc3o1_1280.png)

**The Devil is real. And he's not a little red man with horns and a tail. He can be beautiful. Because he's a Fallen Angel, and he used to be God's favourite."**

**— Leah, American Horror Story**

* * *

~

I rolled into bed and snuggled under my blanket the moment I finished washing up. This winter was not going to be a merciful one. A deep, hot throbbing started in my chest and spread like a slow ache when Hoseok crawled over me and laid beside me. He seemed to be somehow supernaturally comfortable on top of the covers in just his tank and sweats. After a moment’s deliberation, he too wiggled under the blankets. I wanted to feel warm and fuzzy at the thought of snuggling beside the one I loved, but instead I felt nervous, hot and bothered, and a little embarrassed.

Maybe his inability to feel my emotions so easily was a blessing, because he didn’t hesitate as he cuddled up to me. I had no choice but to lean against him and somehow deal with the feel of his arms around me, his warm breath in my hair, and the addictive musk I’d come to crave. I felt so light in his embrace, so small and delicate compared to his broader frame, and impossibly vulnerable. Why did I feel vulnerable? It wasn’t a fearful vulnerability at all—I trusted that he’d never give me a reason to be afraid of him—it was an entirely different kind of vulnerability. I felt like he could unravel me with just a touch, just a risqué glance in my direction. I couldn’t help the tension in my muscles, and I laid there, irrationally expecting to burst into flames at any second.

“Sleep, Yoongi-yah.”

I groaned. How did he know? How did he _always_ know? I knew the answer, but I continued to let it frustrate me.

“I can’t,” I sheepishly admitted, my voice muffled by the black cotton of his tank.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m…” I sighed. I sighed hard, wondering if there was any point in cushioning it at all. This is Hoseok, after all. “I’m just thinking about you.” Very cushioned.

“That’s what’s keeping you up? What about me?”

 _Every damn thing_ , I silently complained. I tipped my head up gently, and he pulled back to look at me. So handsome, so loving, everything about him beckoned. What reason did I have to hold back, anyway?

I kissed him, and he responded immediately. His chest swelled where it pressed against me, and his relaxed fingers suddenly dug in, hot and hard against my back. As expected, I blazed. It seemed ridiculous to have dreaded this possibility; what is there to dread? His gentle kisses and petting hands felt wonderful, and the sudden hotness under my skin was a blessing. _Why did I ever worry?_

Maybe because I still felt hesitant to seduce him. Maybe I still felt guilty for his falling. Maybe, just maybe, I still had no idea how to take my new relationship status: Bonded for Life. Looking at Hoseok as an entirely unobtainable spirit one day and then calling him my own the next… It wasn’t exactly a slow transition.

Gentle kisses became rapidly less gentle—faster, hotter, _wetter_ , and damn, Hoseok sure was getting good at this. “I think…” he breathed between the mashing of our lips, “…I know what… you were thinking… about now.” Panting now, I smiled slightly against his lips. “Yoong- _mmph…_ Yoongi-yah…” I stopped kissing him then, hesitantly, and I didn’t plan to stop for long. “You already know this, but I’ll say it again. Don’t hesitate to let me know what you want.”

Yeah, he said things like that a lot. There was only one way to avoid argument. “Okay,” I breathed, and pushed him down onto his back. “But you have to do the same,” I replied, smirking slightly, despite my wish to look serious. I sat astride his stomach, my hands on the bed beside his shoulders. He was so warm, and I was so, _so damn warm_ , that it didn’t matter if a little cold air got under the covers.

“If I had any say,” he began, and proceeded to slide his fingers up my sides, pulling with them my sleeping shirt. I shuddered with slightly nervous anticipation. “We’d stay right here forever, doing just this.”

I groaned, feeling horribly teased when his fingers reached my ribs and then reversed directions. My shirt covered me again when his touch descended to my hips; impatience mingled with the craving to feel of his hands all over me.

“Forever is a pretty long time,” I mused. “Maybe you should persuade me.”

“Oh,” Hoseok breathed. His lips curved up in one corner, accompanied by a short ‘heh.’ Clearly, he began to realise how hot he was, and what it did to me. “Say no more.”

A series of teasingly slow caresses later, and we had finally disrobed. It was like a competition to see who could drive whom insane first, and I can honestly say he had the advantage. Those long, slim fingers were one thing, but his confident smirk throughout the ordeal was just a little too much. By the time he finished undressing me, I was just about ready to step into a bath full of ice.

His damn hands were everywhere, burning scorching trails across my skin, dragging impatient whimpers from my throat. I couldn’t compete with that. Sometimes I’d touch him somewhere that caused a tremble or a moan and think I’d made progress, but seconds later I was crumbling, again, into a pitiful mess of uncoordinated desire. For someone I thought to be so innocent, he had it _all_ over me.

The Angel’s hot and heavy touch was one thing, but with his fingers spread across the middle of my back, he reminded me of something hotter about those irresistible hands. Tendrils of heat, climbing and whipping and consuming every inch of my body inside out—that ‘healing’ power was so much more when he wanted it to be. I moaned, too sudden and impulsive to prevent, loud enough to wake my brother on the other side of the house. My teeth found his shoulder, and a harsh sigh brushed past my ear.

“ _Yoongi_ ,” he rasped, and the hot spikes quickly subsided with the sliding of his hand up my back. He stroked between my shoulder blades while he spoke. “I believe there’s something we need in order to continue.”

I almost gave him a breathless, irritated _‘huh?’_ , but it occurred to me a moment later. Lube. For a second, I despaired, but suddenly remembered an ill-intended prank Jungkook had played on me a little while ago. Stashed at the back of my bedside table drawer was a travel-sized bottle of _just_ what we needed, along with a box of ‘XL’ condoms. Trying to forget the livid rage I’d gone into after he’d retrieved the ‘shopping’ I had asked for (sneakily including the surprise gifts), I slid away from Hoseok’s warmth to dig in the drawer. Hoseok just watched, looking delightfully human with his flushed cheeks and messy hair.

 _I guess you’re forgiven,_ I thought, _Devil Child._

My fingers brushed the box of condoms, and I blushed harder. No, I didn’t intend on using them, because what chance was there that either of us would be infectious, or even that an Angel _could_ be associated with human diseases? I irresponsibly blocked the entire subject and grabbed the little black bottle of ‘ _Eros Warming Silicone Body Glide Lubricant’_ , shuddered at the suggestive name, and crawled hastily back under the covers.

Hoseok gently guided me on top of him and lay still, breathing hard and watching me, so curious and willing. He didn’t seem to be in any hurry—a stark contrast to my fumbling fingers and thundering heart. If I gave myself any time to sit and ponder this, I probably wouldn’t move forward, so I uncapped the bottle and squeezed. Nothing came out.

“What the…” I grumbled, but soon realised it had a freshness seal on and sheepishly unscrewed the lid.

“Why are you so nervous?” my Angel breathed, and my eyes darted up to his before moving back to the bottle in my hands.

“Are you kidding? Look at you.” Of course he didn’t get it, and I smiled slightly. “I’m nervous you’ll realise how much better you can do and run off with a pretty rich-boy.” His horrified expression made me laugh out loud as I screwed the lid back on. “I’m joking.”

“Right,” he said with a relieved exhale. “Of course you are.”

He just watched, again, while I unloaded a small puddle of goo into my hand and sat back on his thighs to apply it. I slid my trembling hand down his shaft and forced myself not to check his expression. I was about to put the bottle down beside us when I suddenly felt my hand heat up. “Oh, wow,” I mumbled, and Hoseok sucked in a slow breath.

“Oh wow, indeed,” he sighed, as breathless as I was surprised. “Last time it was cold…?”

Peering at the bottle again, my eyes snapped to the word ‘warming.’ The directions explained ‘ _The silky smooth warming sensation can be felt at first touch, and will give you a stimulating feeling of warmth_ …’ I groaned and hissed: “you little shit.” Glancing at Hoseok again and dropping the bottle on the mattress, I choked out an awkward laugh. “It’s meant to do that… does it… does it feel okay?”

His hips shifted, moving me slightly, and I waited tensely, my hand barely moving. “It feels wonderful, Yoongi.”

I trapped a moan in my throat and forced a smile. “Good,” I croaked, wondering if I my racing blood had already begun to paint my body red. With great care—and wonderment at the tingly warmth under my fingers—I slid my fingers up and down.

“So warm…” he moaned. “If your hand was any tighter,” he began, and I think my hand actually tightened just in anticipation, “it would be like we had already started.”

Nothing could suppress the groan that time. “Damn,” I sighed. “ _Shit,_ where did you learn to talk like that?” His fingers ghosted up my thighs from my folded knees and slowly back down.

“Talk like what?” His voice was just a breath now, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to continue talking at all.

“Nothing; don’t worry.”

For once, his attention left the topic of conversation immediately. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, really, considering what I was doing. There were a few moments of silence while I watched my hand and tried not to think too hard about what comes next. He, on the other hand seemed to be thinking solely about what comes next.

“Yoongi-yah,” he whispered, dragging my eyes to his. The gentle strokes of his soft palms halted, and his warm hands rested on my knees. “I want to put _my_ fingers in you this time.”

My jaw dropped. Maybe it wasn’t a ‘dirty mouth’ at all, and he was just being honest; if that was the case, I think I would have preferred he said nothing at all. His words sliced through me like a super-heated blade. The hot drip down my spine suddenly began to trickle warmth all over my skin. I had thought talking would bother me in intimate situations, but instead of feeling awkward, it made me swoon.

“Really?” I croaked. “What else?”

Hoseok’s eyes scrunched shut as my hand closed a little too tight, and I dragged my hand up to his tip to make him moan. “You mean…” he began. “What else do I want to do to you?”

I almost asked him to pinch me to make sure I wasn’t dreaming… again. “Yeah,” I gasped. “God yes.”

Hoseok’s eyes dropped from mine thoughtfully. “Everything,” he breathed with a smile. “Anything that makes you feel good. I want to touch you like you’re touching me.” His hand closed over mine, squeezing tighter, and I cried out as though it was my dick and not his. Holy crap, that mouth… Lidded eyes stole my gaze and sent spikes of desire shooting through my veins. I leant down, unable to keep my mouth off his for much longer. “And I want you to do it all to me.”

I kissed him so hard I almost split my lip on his teeth. “ _Hoseok_ ,” I whispered, trailing wet lips down his chin and neck. “I want you to come without me… feel it for yourself before I do—not just because of me.”

Hoseok’s breath hitched. “But I like finishing with you… what if it’s different?”

Panting hard and leaving slow, wet kisses along his jaw, I wondered that myself. I dragged my lips to his again. “What if it’s _different?_ ” I repeated, and suddenly the realisation painted his features with surprise. _What if he’s missing out? What if it’s…_ better?

A deep rumble of a moan trembled from deep in his throat, lighting me on fire from the inside out. I kissed him hard, pumped his cock even harder, and bathed in his hot, heavy breaths.

Before I got too carried away, I fumbled for the lube and took his hand to coat his fingers. Panting just as hard—and probably driven half-mad with lust—Hoseok watched through lidded eyes with the darkest, sexiest expression I’d ever seen in my life. His fingers, though… mother of _mercy_ , his fingers. My throat was thick and dry at the thought of having them inside me.

“Why is it warm?” he asked, his voice croaky, and despite the terrible timing, I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s just made that way; I dunno: science.” I rose up on my knees and guided his hand between my legs. Feeling my entire body prickle with all this embarrassment had better be worth it. “Go for your life,” I breathed, and the last word faded into a mewl at the feel of his slick digits against my hole.

“Will it hurt?” he asked, suddenly a little more serious, though I hardly noticed while he drew circles with the pads of his fingers, pressed teasingly against my balls with the heel of his palm.

“No, it’s fine; it’ll be fine.” If he managed to make sense of those babbles, he _must_ be supernatural.

Pain-wise, it was fine. In every other respect, I was a mess. _God_ , that shit was _warm as hell_. I grabbed his wrist and sank down hard on his two fingers, and I forced myself to ignore how embarrassingly needy that seemed. My thighs held out better than I expected on the odd angle, but still trembled from Hoseok’s hand. His fingers curled, and _shit_ , how did he know? I yelped, and my hips jerked at the pleasure.

“You’re so sensitive,” he whispered. “So lovely.”

“You kn-now,” I croaked, letting go of his wrist in case the death-grip was hurting him. “I could get off from just th-this…”

“Get off?” he asked, stroking in that deliberately malicious way that made me whine like a sad puppy.

“Come,” I growled. “I-I could come from j-just _this_.”

“I can tell,” he smirked.

“B-but I don’t want to. It’s yo-ur turn- _nnnn Hoseok…_ ” He liked it when I moaned, and always made a point of repeating whatever he did to hear it again. “S-stop, please, I’m getting you off first tonight.” Somehow, I squeezed all of that out in one steady breath.

“Okay, yeah,” he agreed. “But we’re doing that again some time.”

“Hell yeah we are.”

Only stretched out to two of his fingers, I did gawk at his girth a little. However, maybe I could just let him heal me for the beginning, and then make him stop before it took over and drove me crazy.

“I really like,” Hoseok began, taking a breath in the pause, “that we’re doing this just because we want to.”

I battled with the haze in my brain for a few moments—too many words for horny Yoongi. It finally set in what he meant. “C-cos it was for bonding last time?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, and we both focused on my hands guiding his length under me. “Wait, this seems difficult… shouldn’t I be sitting up?”

I chuckled. “It’ll be fine. B-besides, it’s kinda hot this way.”

Hoseok made a face, not disagreement, but a lack of understanding. I figured I’d let him find out.

Then came the difficult part. Hoseok didn’t need me to say anything before he raised his hand to my stomach. Liquid fire began shooting through my body, even as he stroked affectionately up to my chest and back down. “Tell me if it still works all right, because…” Hoseok trailed off, and concern creased his brows for a second. “It doesn’t feel very strong anymore.”

“It feels p-p-plenty strong, baby.”

The hot lashes stuttered, paused, and then started up again. Something must have made him lose concentration. ‘ _Baby._ ’ I called him ‘baby.’

“Baby?”

 _Oh my god, I actually called him ‘baby._ ’

“I-it’s just a-a-…”

“I know,” Hoseok said, and then chuckled slightly. “I’m just surprised…” His smile was different then, but I was having trouble focusing on anything at all. My limbs felt progressively more like cooked spaghetti from his angel-magic, and a shudder racked my entire body so violently that I couldn’t even pretend I was still in control, still capable of concentrating enough to guide him inside me.

“Here,” Hoseok breathed, steadying me with one hand on my hip, and wrapping the other around his base. “I’m glad it’s working,” he teased.

“ _Sh-s-sh-shhhit_ ,” I whined, feeling his blunt tip press into me. I meant to tell him to ‘shut up,’ but that incentive was lost with the familiar yet terrifyingly new sensation. Impatience stirred in my gut, but just because it didn’t hurt now didn’t mean it wouldn’t later—I hadn’t forgotten that. Taking it slow now was going to save me.

My thighs screamed, but I couldn’t let myself sink down just yet. My arms gave in and let the Angel do the work. One glance at his expression and my heart skipped a beat. His cheeks and neck glowed blotchy red, and sweat began to pull at his hairline. His lidded eyes were focused between us, but flickered distractedly with pleasure. I could just see the tips of his pearly teeth through his parted lips. Trailing my gaze down his body was just as much of a bad idea. His strong, veiny neck; broad shoulders; sharp collarbones, and curved, sculpted chest; then his rapidly-rising-and-falling ribcage; his graceful, slim waist; his toned belly and slender, powerful hips… It was a feat in itself simply not passing out.

“ _Oh_ ,” I suddenly breathed, realising just how deep he was now. The sight of him had been so distracting, I lost track of the feel. Hoseok’s knees bent as he planted his feet, and I gripped his thighs to steady myself.

“Yoongi,” he said, moaning, and took a long, deep breath. “How does it feel?”

“Good,” I sighed. “Hot.”

Hoseok almost laughed, but I think he was as incapable as I was of several basic motor skills. “T-tell me what to do,” he said, his voice stuttering around panting breaths.

“Anything,” I managed. “ _God, anything._ ” Groaning, I pushed my hips forward and sank down, my butt landing against his skin. Wow, I was going to regret that. It didn’t hurt, just _burned_ , and he felt like a steel rod against such sensitive places. Hoseok yelped at my sudden action, which had me immediately moving back upwards.

“N-no,” he stuttered, moving his free hand to rest over one of mine. “It was just… _nngghhh._ ”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Heh. Yeah, I kn-now.” After finding the strength to move again, I attempted a hip-roll and ended up discovering just how unprepared I was for that.

Hoseok mewled, his eyes scrunching shut. “Y-yoongi-yah… t-too tight,” he panted. “Slowly… You’ll hurt yourself.”

He was right. Somehow, he was still thinking about me. Despite how good it must feel for him, he told me to go slow, take it easy, and I very nearly crumbled into a messy pile of limbs on the bed. How dare he make me feel like this, make my heart beat impossibly faster and swell with all the love in the world. I moved slowly then, up and down, trembling and trapping high sounds in my throat, and wondered if love felt like this for everyone.

~

Frustrated with myself, I rolled off my bed to make my way towards the shower.

“It doesn’t matter, Yoongi-yah, don’t be upset.”

Hoseok’s nonchalance made me scoff. “I… yeah, whatever.” It wasn’t disappointing at all; it was, in fact, so wonderful that I probably shouted loud enough for the neighbours to hear. That wasn’t what annoyed me. It wasn’t until we were done that I realised just what happened.

I couldn’t believe I came first. I’d been going at Hoseok since we began, and didn’t touch myself once. _He_ didn’t even touch me. If I was in his position, I would have finished not long after that lube got on me, but he lasted all the way through until I came from just him inside me, and I was just as embarrassed as I was annoyed.

“Why are you so mad? We can have sex any time.”

I blushed at that, just when my cheeks were beginning to cool down. Dragging on my sweats just to get me from there to the bathroom, I mumbled: “because you were meant to finish first, dammit!”

“Sorry,” he said gently, and I rolled my eyes.

“It’s not your fault.” Of course it wasn’t his fault. Maybe it was a little bit his fault; just his _words_ were making my dick twitch, let alone his fingers teasing my favourite spot and his rigid length abusing my insides. I didn’t stand a chance, really. In all honesty, I should be blaming him.

But maybe… maybe he _couldn’t_ finish without me? I shook that thought off—of course he can…

“Hoseok-ah,” I whispered as I reached for my doorhandle. He raised his brows at me, just reclining against my pillows looking spent and utterly satisfied. “Come shower with me.”

“Why?” he asked, but got up to follow me anyway.

“Because,” I said, my eyes drilling into his face to prevent looking down at his nudity. “I want you to.”

He just smiled, and I didn’t need to say anything for him to put some pants on. Apparently he hadn’t _completely_ lost the ability to feel my emotions.

~

I woke peacefully: no noise, no disturbances, no discomfort—just Hoseok’s soft body beside me and warm sunlight streaming across my blanket-covered legs. I felt heavy as a house and completely disinclined to get up. Hoseok was the first to stir, moving with more animation than I would ever be capable of, let alone this early in the morning. He was marching towards the door—dressed just in shorts—before I could even open my eyes. A breathy groan passed my lips. I was supposed to ask him what he was doing, or to come back and stay a while longer, but my door swung open and let him out before I could even try.

I closed my sleepy eyes for a second, but they snapped wide at a sudden thought. Hoseok wouldn’t rush out of bed without good reason. I pushed myself up, suddenly tense and full of life, and allowed a moment to stretch and blink myself awake.

“Yah, Jimin-ah?” came a call from the other room, followed by a more urgent “JIMIN!” My brother’s distressed shouts had me springing to action, fizzing with adrenaline before I could even burst through my door and charge down the hall. I tripped over my own feet on the way out, skidding unsteadily into the back of my couch, just as a heart-stopping smash filled my ears. A spray of glass rained into the living room, and I cowered behind the couch. Something—some _one_ —had flown through the living-room window. I scrambled away from the winged Demon before I could get a look at it; my eyes searched for Jungkook instead.

“Hyung!” he suddenly screeched, and I finally saw him, standing in the doorway of his bedroom and pointing behind me. My gut twisted as I spun, and I ducked just as a clawed hand swiped at me. A female demon stood over me, a blood-curdling shriek making my ears ring. Jungkook shouted again, just as it leapt at me. It must have been adrenaline that caused me to throw my leg up in the direction of danger. Luckily, my blow landed, square into the creature’s jaw. She gargled, stumbled away, and I had time to turn and head towards Jungkook.

I froze. My heart leapt into my throat. Jungkook was on the ground with a huge, winged Demon over him… _No_ , my mind screamed, because he was still, limp, and lying in a puddle of thick, dark blood.

_NO!_

~


	24. Until Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

‘Thank Heaven’ was the only thing that went through my mind when I finally got into the house and saw that Yoongi was all right. The incubus and succubus inside were easy to fight off, not that they put up much of a defence when I arrived, anyway. Cowards, I thought with a satisfied huff as they fled. Finally they left, but Yoongi’s voice was suddenly at the forefront of my attention. I turned towards him, realising with a start that he was crying. That rattled me—made me wonder what could be wrong if he was physically unharmed.

“Yoongi?” I shouted and charged to be beside him, terrified that I was wrong—that something had happened.

He threw himself against me, moist hands gripping my arms and dragging me down. “Heal him! Can you heal him, Hoseok!?”

I saw him then, Jungkook, flat out on the floor, blood everywhere. Shock and fear griped me, and a moment of panic had my hands shooting out to cover his wound. Yoongi was sobbing beside me, begging me to fix him, and for a few terrifying moments, it was like he really was gone.

I felt it in my spirit when Jungkook’s body responded. I felt him healing, repairing, and coming back to us. His body took some time, but his soul reacted immediately. He was frightened, dependent, and confused, all at once. Finally, his brother’s sobbing gasps calmed down into shuddering breaths, Jungkook regained consciousness, and his eyes slowly slid open. Yoongi’s crying returned: huge, mortified sobs that hardly sounded relieved at all. He collapsed on his brother—on top of my still-healing hands—and held him like he’d never let go.

“Where were you?” my human gasped, not looking at me. I noticed, agonised, that his voice was full of conviction. “Hoseok, where were you?!”

“They were everywhere, Yoongi… they still are. I thought I could protect the house from the outside, but some slipped through.” He was still crying, still gripping his shuddering brother in his embrace, and I didn’t know what to say or do. For a while, I was comforted that Yoongi was unharmed. It didn’t even occur to me that Jungkook could be hurt. I cringed as I realised that I hadn’t even thought to check for him, as though I didn’t care at all. “I’m sorry, Yoongi-yah; there are just so many.”

He cried for so long, just crouched over his weak but healing brother. It hurt to see him in so much pain, but it hurt so much more that he blamed me. I couldn’t concentrate on what I should do. Right then, Jimin was just outside, still fighting—still defending his human. Taehyung was there, fighting with a member of his pack, and the cambions were there, too: Byungjoo and Hansol; it was strange to me that they were on our side. It wasn’t as strange, though, as the sudden ambush of Demons in such daylight hours. I want to know what was going on, but I couldn’t think. I couldn’t think about anything but how badly I messed up, and how Yoongi may never forgive me.

It had been a fair few long minutes before Jimin’s Lupe soared through the shattered window. I knew it wasn’t completely sorted outside, but there was no way Jimin could stay away from Jungkook for long after he’d been attacked. He was in human form before he reached my side, and it was a good thing I had finished healing, because he shoved Yoongi and me away from his brother with enough force to hurt. Yoongi shouted, but I held him back, warning seriously that he shouldn’t bother Jimin in this state. My human finally went limp in my grasp and watched them with shining, traumatised eyes.

The wolf muttered his lover’s name, over and over. Jungkook’s shaking hand raised to touch the Demon’s face, and his eyelids fluttered until he could keep them open. “I’m okay,” he rasped, searching Jimin’s face. Yoongi wasn’t relaxed in the slightest, even if he wasn’t moving. Tension filled his every muscle, but he didn’t attempt to break away. We watched the touching reunion from a distance; I knew Jimin could be dangerous if we attempted to take him away from Jungkook at a time like this.

Jimin’s face buried in his lover’s neck, and suddenly his shoulders began to shake with sobs. His hands ghosted over the shredded clothing where incubus claws had torn holes in his flesh. Only his clothing showed signs of the attack now, as well as the thick, red blood soaking his shirt and smeared across the floor.

I couldn’t bring myself to say a thing while we sat there, but eventually Yoongi turned and curled against me. It might not have meant he was ready to forgive me, but nothing could stop me from holding him tight.

~

Jungkook’s rapid recovery calmed Yoongi down until he could finally bear to take his eyes off him. He didn’t seem any less tense, though, when he fussed around in the kitchen making lunch for himself and his brother. I couldn’t do anything but watch him. He paused every now and then, dark almond eyes freezing for a few moments while he overcame a heavy impulse to panic. I would have given almost anything to comfort him, but I knew he might push me away, and that would undoubtedly be worse.

I was slightly too far away to stop the bowl that he knocked from the counter as it shattered on the tiles—an explosion of colour across the stark-white flooring. Yoongi started, but otherwise stood still, staring down at the mess with an expression full of frustration and weariness. I rushed over, of course, but froze as his head lifted to pin me with his gaze. I knew he was afraid and in pain, but it still shook me to see it all in his eyes.

“Are we safe anywhere?” he begged, a hopeless tone washing over me.

“Yoongi, I’m sorry…”

“Sorry doesn’t make anything better, Hoseok! Sorry doesn’t change the fact that Jungkook could have died today! It doesn’t stop Demons crawling into my house and attacking me, and it doesn’t fix this fucking bowl…” He trailed off, bending down to collect the shards.

Feeling uselessly human, I sighed and bent down to help him. “I’ll find out what this is about, Yoongi-yah. I will. I just need to talk to some people.”

“And you think that will help? Talking? What do we do if we’re not safe here anymore? Just pack up and leave?” He glanced up when I didn’t answer, a handful of blue shards in his grip. “Hoseok…”

“I know you have a life here, Yoongi-yah, but would you rather stay and be in danger?”

“What else can I do?” His voice dropped so low that I wasn’t sure if he was asking me or himself, or even asking at all.

“I won’t leave your side anymore, I promise.”

“You’ve said that before,” he huffed as he stood up straight. The shards of porcelain bowl clunked to the bottom of the kitchen rubbish bin, which he could just reach without moving his feet. “Can you get me the broom?” As I acquiesced, he continued. “It’s not me I’m worried about, Hoseok… Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

That struck somewhere sensitive inside me—somewhere vulnerable. “Don’t act like a martyr around me, Yoongi. Don’t you dare.” The careful look that crept into his features reflected how surprised I was about my tone. I hadn’t meant to scold him so.

“You can’t expect me to just sit back while Jungkook is threatened, Hoseok.” His voice was lower now, and there was a softness in his tone that proved he took my accidental threat seriously. He wasn’t angry at me now, just concerned. Just frightened. He sighed heavily, a defeated sound that shuddered just at the end, and he began to sweep away from his feet.

“You’re human, Yoongi,” I began, waiting for him to clear the floor of debris. “You’re so fragile, and I could lose you so easily.” I didn’t need to see the grimace to feel his displeasure. The plastic broom clicked across the tiles a few moments after he dropped it, after his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. It felt so good to have him close again, seeking out my support. My fingers threaded in his hair, moved to cradle his face and lean my forehead against his.

“I’m sick of being scared.”

I realised then that maybe it was time to take Yoongi’s training up a notch and see what he can do. Training his body was easy—once I got past his laziness. I had a theory that I felt suddenly compelled to test.

“Get through today, one step at a time, and tonight… I’ll see if I can take away some of your fear.” Confusion flickered across his eyes, creasing his brow for a moment, so I kissed the bridge of his nose. “Let’s finish up here and then we can get you to class.”

~

Almost two hours before I expected, Yoongi walked towards me through the paved courtyard of his university. “You’re early.”

He melted against me the second my arms closed around him. “I deferred.”

“Deferred?” I questioned. “Your studies?” He nodded weakly. “Why?”

“Why?” Yoongi pulled back reluctantly to look at me. “Hoseok… I don’t have time to think about washing my clothes let alone study.” A gentle breeze rustled his hair as he linked his fingers with mine. “Besides… what if we have to… pack up and go?”

It seemed joyful, the way he swung our hands between us, but the conversation was too tense. “I won’t make you leave if you don’t want to, Yoongi.”

“Well,” he sighed, squeezing my hand for a moment as we exited the red-brick university, “let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

~

Yoongi wanted to fuss over Jungkook. He wanted to sit by the bedside and feed him and tell him he was going to be all right. I could feel the pull from one human to the other like opposite magnets. The only reason he didn’t was the Werewolf. He had never seemed afraid of Jimin—not when he first found out about his being a Demon, and not when he saw him shift and fight with Taehyung. Never, until now. I warned him not to get between a Wolf and his bonded, but Yoongi crossed the border by pushing Jimin away from Jungkook in a thoughtless moment of frustration. It had gotten to Yoongi that he couldn’t just be alone with his only family, but Jimin was not in a state to sympathise, no matter who Yoongi was. Before the Wolf was bonded, Jimin would have had no choice but to submit to the owner of the house. Now, that was very different.

Jungkook was conscious and very aware of the dispute. If it weren’t for his alarmed shout at Jimin just as the Wolf snarled and half-lunged at Yoongi, my human may not have been in very good shape. I was by Yoongi’s side in a heartbeat, pulling him out of the room and away from the fuming Demon.

“Sh-shit,” Yoongi trembled, clutching my arms in a claw-like grip. “Holy shhhhit.”

“I told you to be careful!” I cooed, pulling him against me.

“He can’t keep me away from Jungkook,” he whined in his startled, broken voice.

“He can and he will. Believe me, Yoongi; it isn’t worth fighting over. Jungkook is healed. I promise.”

“Then why does he have to hole him up in his room and keep him from me?!”

“If you had been near death, Yoongi-yah, I would not even let my Maker get near you. When a spirit is bonded, like Jimin is to Kookie and like I am to you, their human is all that matters to them. You’re everything to me. Jungkook is everything to Jimin.”

Pulling him onto his bed, I made use of his emotional state—humans were much more malleable this way.

“Yoongi,” I began, sitting against the head of his bed and guiding him to sit astride my thighs, “I want to teach you something.”

Despite his pout, his mind went somewhere entirely unexpected. “I thought it was usually me teaching you when I’ve got my legs around you.”

My brow rose on one side. “Would you be disappointed if I said it’s not about sex?”

“Depends,” he huffed, his small shoulders slumping. “What’s it about?”

“Your quarter-Demon Soul.”

Rapid blinking and a thick swallow—Yoongi slowly parted his lips to reply. “Wow.”

“You know about the ability we spirits have that humans… struggle with. You call it a ‘sixth sense.’” A gentle nod encouraged me to continue. “I’ll call it that, for lack of a better description. You can feel it; it’s all around you, and you notice it all the time. An example is… how much you want to see Jungkook right now. You can sense that. It’s not touch or smell or hearing… it’s something else, right? It’s emotional.” I had his full attention to the point where he probably didn’t notice his absently-parted lips. “But the difference with us is we can feel it in others. We can sense emotions in others, and with that we can touch other things about their spirit. With fine enough control, we can even communicate, in a way, without anything physical at all. That’s how our bonds work, how my power works, and, in a way, how we can travel between worlds.”

“Wait, so this ‘sixth sense’ is that simple? I thought it was like… ESP and predicting the future and stuff…”

I chuckled. “Maybe that’s a way some people think about it. In Buddhism, the sixth sense is taught to be within the same spectrum of the other five. The mind and its thought are not set apart as from the other senses to them, like they are in other religions and the modern science of your world.”

“Okay… so-… okay, just continue.”

“No questions?”

“Millions. But continue.”

I took a slow breath, hoping he believed me. “Yoongi, I want to teach you to use the Demons quarter of your soul.”

“Use it? Like you do?”

“Exactly like I do.”

“Bring it on.”

~

Yoongi took to it quickly. Quickly for a human, that is. For over an hour he struggled to even concentrate. His preconditioned mind hindered his acceptance. Even if he believed I was telling the truth, he didn’t truly believe he could control his soul like I could. He didn’t understand. A while into the second hour, Yoongi began to believe me.

I caught his shoulder when he rocked towards me, involuntarily and entirely losing his balance.

“What the ffuucckk?”

It took lots of patience and lots of not-so-gentle prodding around in the demonic section of his spirit that could only be described as ‘reddish.’ It had always been obvious—the Demon part of him—and it made him who he was, but I’d never had a reason to reach into the really private depths of his soul until that moment. As a rule, we don’t—Angels are taught to keep to themselves. Delving past the edges of someone’s spirit is invasive and unnecessary. In this case… I needed Yoongi to feel me there, and, of course, I asked first. He shrugged and gave me permission as though it didn’t matter, but that was before he felt it.

His eyes were out of focus when he looked towards me, and it took him a moment to see again. Before his body tensed and his eyes flew open, I knew from the way his spirit stirred that he felt me. Consciously, in just the way I wanted, he felt me.

“Hoseok… I…” He panted, confused and astounded.

“I know. I felt you respond.”

After the first half hour of offhanded giggling at the seeming-impossibility of following my instructions, Yoongi had begun to get sick of it, and after an hour, he was downright frustrated. Soon after frustrated, he was exhausted but determined. I was right in thinking it would be the best state to have him in.

“Do it again,” he whispered, shuffling closer to me on the bed. We had moved to sit in more comfortable positions as time passed, but right then, as he begged me to touch him in that way again, Yoongi crawled right against me and cupped my face in his hands. “Shit, I need to feel that again.”

“Shhh,” I hushed, wrapping my arms around him. It was definitely time to snuggle into bed, if his cold skin was anything to go by, but I knew he wouldn’t give up until he got what he wanted. I slid my hand up to the dip between his shoulder blades, unable to keep the power from reaching out to him while he was so close and so willing. It tingled just lightly, just enough for him to feel, and then I dove back in to remind him what my spirit’s touch feels like.

I had expected a reaction—in fact, I had expected him to be surprised. I hadn’t counted on the sheer elation that trembled through him until it was all I could feel. Yoongi was thrilled and totally overwhelmed. It was new for both of us, really; I hadn’t been this deep in someone’s mind before. To feel what my human felt at this level… I didn’t have enough time to take it all in.

Out of the blue, Yoongi kissed me. My brows shot up and my eyes drifted closed. I managed to hold on to the gentle hook my searching spirit had in the dark, swirling corner of his. Not searching, but lingering like a guest inside his mind, it was an experience I was going to have to try again.

Shuddering mumbles dusted my lips: “I want to do that to you. Teach me. What are you even doing?”

Now, how to explain it? The world I just let Yoongi into was more vast than he could ever imagine. I had to take it one step at a time.

“Another time,” I promised, gently pulling his fingers to my lips to kiss. “That’s enough for tonight.”

“Enough?” he gasped. “Hoseok, that’s like getting naked and then telling me I can only look. I want you to show me everything.”

“You’re exhausted. And don’t say you’re not—I’m inside your head.”

After a moment of rapid blinking, he pouted. “Fine.”

I smiled, unable to disguise my adoration for a moment. Slowly, I released my grip on his Quarter-Demon, and a slow sigh escaped us both at the loss.

“When you can control it better,” I began, dragging his eyes to mine, “I might even be able to contact you from a distance.”

“Seriously?”

“Maybe… don’t hold me to it, but I’ve heard of it. I can already feel you most of the time when we’re apart. With fine control, you might be able to feel me, too.”

We slid into bed together, Yoongi’s eyelids becoming heavy before his head hit the pillow. “Then,” he whispered, just before a yawn took over. “We can be together no matter what.”

I watched his face succumb to tiredness, and he settled down to sleep so quickly that I must have tired him out more than I thought. “Yoongi-yah,” I whispered, and a very soft hum was the only reaction I got. Snuggling closer and holding him tight against me, I whispered: “I love you.”

~

The next day was supposed to be spent planning the get-together between myself and Jongup, but Yoongi had other ideas.

“Show me again,” he constantly begged. “Just for a few minutes. Let me try.” He had followed me around all day, sighed loudly and huffed exaggeratedly in my ear with obvious impatience. I could hardly ignore him, since I knew exactly what he wanted, and I wanted it too. What I didn’t want was to tire him out, and Yoongi’s untrained soul was weak. Even I felt tired after last night—I couldn’t imagine his exhaustion. Yet, he continued to beg me.

I shut him down with a zap of healing power to his solar plexus, painting his face white before the skin of his cheeks flooded with red. It had to have been the tenth time he asked.

“We have forever for that, Yoongi-yah,” I whispered, and my arm wound around his waist. I whispered against the shell of his ear: “See how you feel when we go to bed tonight.”

“We don’t have forever,” he sighed, a hint of roughness in his voice. “I have hardly a fraction of your life, so indulge me. You’re not busy right now, anyway, right?”

“You’re tired,” I combated, forcibly ignorant of his morbid reasoning.

“I’m fine!”

“You can’t possibly know what it’s like to exhaust your soul, so you don’t know you’re tired. I do. You’ll make yourself sick if you don’t take a break.”

Yoongi scowled, his eyebrows drawn together and his lips pursed in a hard line. His grumpy face made me smile, but I managed to contain the laugh. I kissed his cheek and the crease of his brow.

“Tonight. You promise?”

“I promise.” After a long, deep sigh, Yoongi turned and marched away from me.

Jungkook was up and about by the afternoon, and physically, he was good as new. Mentally, he seemed hardly the same person. Withdrawn and quiet, he didn’t say a word if not prompted, and wandered silently, almost directionless, around the house. Jimin followed his every move with Anthrokos eyes, studying everything from his pose to his expression, but the human ignored it. Yoongi fussed and fussed and fussed some more, making his brother as overly comfortable as possible, but didn’t press him to talk. All the reassurance in the world couldn’t bring a smile to either of their faces, and it all made me sink deeper and deeper into my own guilt.

The first conversation Jungkook offered was to inform Yoongi that Yooncheol had been invited for the evening. Yoongi glanced at me, surprised and suddenly excited, but threw his brother a concerned look a second later. “Jungkook, are you sure?”

“I’m fine, Hyung.”

Jimin huffed and sank further into the couch, which I knew right away meant he was sulking over something—something he couldn’t do anything about.

“Well…” Yoongi began, frowning hard enough that his eyebrows almost met in the middle. “When is he getting here?”

“I’ll meet him in town a little later.”

“It’s almost after dark; can’t you go now?” Yoongi argued, and Jimin perked up at that.

“Jimin’s coming; I’ll be fine.”

“Jungkook… you don’t need me to explain to you why this makes me nervous.”

Jungkook’s brows knitted a little, but he gave in and stormed back into his room. Yoongi shot Jimin a look as though he knew as well as I did that something was wrong. Jimin blanched.

“Like I thought,” my human scoffed, sliding onto the couch beside Jimin. The Wolf sat up, alert and uncomfortable. It seemed odd that Jimin so readily cowered from Yoongi most of the time, but when Jungkook was threatened, the Wolf could have killed him without giving it a second thought. He knew Yoongi was the owner of this house, and the only ‘parent’ figure Jungkook had; Jimin had every reason to respect him. Only in dire situations would Jimin challenge that, and now that the threat was gone, Yoongi went right back to being the boss.

Jimin wasn’t stupid enough to pretend he didn’t know what Yoongi was talking about. “Okay, fine.” He lowered his voice, and I noticed myself lean closer to listen. “Jungkook isn’t all quiet because he’s scared, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’s furious. He hasn’t stopped talking to me about how he hates that he’s defenseless against this. He doesn’t want me to ‘protect’ him all the time. He can’t stand it.”

Yoongi had a look on his face like he didn’t understand, or maybe didn’t want to. Didn’t want to believe what he thought it meant. He glanced at me, but dragged his eyes back to Jimin a moment later.

“What did he say?” Yoongi asked—demanded.

“He didn’t… He… he hasn’t said anything yet, but I’m worried. I’m worried he’s going to ask me for something I can’t give him.”

“The bite,” I almost gasped. Yoongi shot me a look of disgust laced with terror. “Jimin, tell me you don’t mean…”

The Wolf nodded carefully. “I won’t let him. I can’t. He won’t be any safer that way—he’d only endanger everyone around him.”

“Fuck, we wants to become a Wolf?”

“I don’t know,” Jimin hissed, signalling to keep our voices down. “All I know is that he wants to be powerful. He wants to be stronger and not be defenseless anymore.”

Yoongi shivered. “Just…” After a few moments, he sighed, looking more defeated than ever. “Let this cool down. He’ll see sense better after some time.”

Jimin sent me a hopeless look, but he nodded at Yoongi anyway.

Feeling defenseless and powerless was a concept I knew all too well, and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to stop Jungkook seeking a way to keep himself safe. The more people we had around here to protect Yoongi, the better.

~


	25. Torn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Taehyung  
> (leads on from previous JinTae chapter)

~

Seokjin barely spared me a glance before following his comrades out of the forest, leaving Jimin, Hoseok, and me to linger alone in the thicket. I didn’t have time to be disappointed, since Hoseok was on my case before I could even blink.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Understandably, he seemed quite mad at me. “I knew you’d react like this,” I mumbled.

“Maybe I wouldn’t if you’d told me straight away! What did you gain from keeping it a secret? Did you think I was going to keep you from that Hunter?”

“No,” I tried to snap, but it came out pathetically soft.

“Then why?”

“I was worried you would leave and take the humans with you! I don’t care about them, but Jimin wouldn’t stay here if you took his kid, would you?” My head whipped towards Jimin when my words were suddenly directed at him.

Cautiously, as though he didn’t want to take sides, he shook his head. Hoseok’s eyes drifted shut and he sighed heavily.

“Okay, but did it not occur to you that this is the sort of thing I need to know? Can you see, from the fact that this Demon-gathering may because of Yoongi, that maybe I am the first person you should have told?” I didn’t answer him, and he turned away from me in a huff. “Your pack should be working on this,” he began, and then turned to Jimin. “Yours too; the Hunters wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t a problem.”

“I’ll make sure to warn them,” Jimin said with a nod, and I sighed heavily. This wasn’t resolved yet; I knew Hoseok would be on my case until it was.

~

I trotted back into the vicinity of the pack and nuzzled with a few creamy-white fur-balls before I noticed Junhong. He was lying on his side, a while away from the rest of the pack, with his head lolling backwards. It didn’t look comfortable. 

He barely responded when I buried my nose into his furry neck. I whined against him and licked his ears. Instead of spilling what I learnt right away, I curled up beside him and kept him company. He always drifted away from the pack when he was moping, but I knew he appreciated my company. 

Later into the afternoon, the pack began their monthly descent into the deepest, most remote part of the national park in which we lived. There, it would be much less difficult to subdue any young wolves that couldn’t yet control their Lycan. Were they in smelling-range of humans, it would prove a much more complicated task. 

It was the first full moon I had to face without Jimin, and the panic didn’t sink in until the sun began to set. 

Sensing my distress, Junhong snuggled affectionately into my side. As a native, he was already completely in control. He hadn’t been controlled by the moon since he was just a tiny pup, and I was jealous. He seemed to understand, though, and offered me sympathy, or at least the wolfy alternative. 

By the time the last light disappeared behind the horizon, the Lycan inside was stirring mercilessly. I didn’t have control at all, despite the relative calm I’d felt during the day. It was early evening by the time I realised I couldn’t do it alone. 

I didn’t give it enough thought before I took off in the direction of the city. The most obvious detail I overlooked was how my escape would seem to the rest of the pack. A non-native wolf suddenly dashing towards humans just as the sun set? Daehyun was on my tail before my sense of direction even began to point me on the right trail.

I couldn’t shake him; he was much stronger and faster than me, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. Sprinting alongside me with ease, he roared in the way only a supernatural wolf could, and threatened me heavily before taking a snap at my legs. I leapt away twice before he managed to latch on and drag me down into the leaf litter. We fought like only canines do, until he took Anthrokos form and pinned me in a headlock. I whined, but his authority weighed so heavily that I had no choice but to change as well. Feeling suffocated under his power, I lay still, though I was far from submitting entirely. 

In a barely human rumble, he began to spit his frustration at me in his deep, commanding voice. “If you think any wolf of this pack is going to cause any problems for us-”

“I’m not going to hurt anyone!” I gasped, and he scoffed. “I’m serious! I was going to…”

“Don’t make excuses with me. Do I need to put you out? Because I will.”

“I’m not making excuses! I’m just not sure yet... Let me explain!” I writhed as I shouted the last part, my voice husky from my throat being crushed. 

After a hesitation, he let me go, and I rolled away into a crouch. Clearly, he trusted me just enough to assume I wouldn’t try to run again. 

My breaths came like pants as I tried to sort my thoughts out for myself. 

“Hyung,” I began, wondering if Daehyun would respond to the friendly word at all. The Beta just eyed me, accepting it, for now at least. “I think there’s someone who can help me control myself for this.”

“Jimin?” he suggested, and I gulped. I shook my head. 

“I think I… I think I imprinted, Hyung…”

Daehyun’s glossy-blue eyes widened. “That Hunter…?” It was almost a statement, as opposed to a question. 

Embarrassed, ashamed, and frightened, I nodded. Daehyun seemed to have the same thoughts as me—even if Seokjin didn’t help me contain the beast, he wouldn’t have any trouble putting it down. 

“Go,” he suddenly barked, and I flinched, not expecting it after such a tense silence. “Hurry.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. 

~

“Taehyung?”

I shoved past the Hunter into his apartment before I answered. He watched me storm in, wearing just a loose, dirty, white t-shirt and tight jeans. 

“Y-you really shouldn’t just come here whenev-”

Seokjin froze when another voice sounded from his bedroom. I joined him in shocked stillness.

“Did you invite somebody else for me to play with?” The voice gave me chills, and my strained senses suddenly picked up the alarming presence. 

Still gasping from my rush here—not to mention the exertion from controlling the writhing Demon inside—I turned slowly towards the Hunter. Guilt painted his features. 

I just stared, distressed by the presence of a powerful Demon inside the next room. It seemed like Seokjin was perplexed as to how he should proceed in this situation. My hands began to shake.

“Y-you need to leave,” Seokjin trembled. 

Despite finding that a very reasonable suggestion, I didn’t move a muscle. I just stared, wide amber eyes drilling into Seokjin’s dark chocolate stare. 

“Yah, don’t make me wait, Princess.” That voice contained more authority than an Alpha Wolf, but it still shocked me when Seokjin moved to oblige. 

“Leave, now,” he ordered, but his eyes were desperately pleading.

Completely at a loss for words, I just watched as he marched around the couches in the small front room towards his bedroom. Just as he was about to disappear through his door, a tall, broad figure appeared in the doorway. The Demon was dangerously attractive, with light brown hair and matching caramel irises. He leant lazily on the doorframe, one arm resting above his head. 

“H-hyosang,” Seokjin squeaked. “G-go back in; I’m here now.”

“But who’s this?” Despite the Hunter’s pushing on his chest, the Demon—Hyosang—stood his ground. A sultry leer pinned me in his gaze. Swirling chestnut eyes stroked suggestively across my face and down the length of my trembling body.

“He’s leaving,” Seokjin growled as he pushed harder against the Demon’s torso. I scarcely noticed how unaffected the Demon was, despite his similar size to the Hunter, who seemed to be shoving with all of his might.

“It’s the full moon, Puppy,” the Demon purred, and suddenly the Lycan inside me submitted entirely, subdued by a very persuasive magic. I swooned. 

I barely noticed Seokjin as he glanced back at me. “No,” the Hunter whined, but my entire body screamed yes. 

Somewhere deep down, there was a part of me that knew this was a trick. Despite not having met an Incubus prior to this point, I knew what they could do. I’d seen my Cambion friends use their crappy version of the same trick on unsuspecting humans. 

The Demon beckoned, and without a breath of hesitation, I succumbed to the pull of his power. Seokjin’s sympathetic glance was entirely lost on me. 

“Please, not Taehyung,” the part-Human begged, but at the time, every fibre of my being craved the Incubus, and Seokjin’s presence barely registered on any level of consciousness. 

“Why: is this Wolf special?” That rumbling voice caused a tremble so deep my groin that I whined, and practically threw myself against the Demon’s strong body. 

“He didn’t do anything… Please…”

“Oh, I beg to differ.”

It didn’t matter what he talked about at the time; what mattered, rather, was the seductive timbre of his deep voice.

“Please, Hyosang, it was just once and I let him do it! You can take it out on me, and it won’t happen again, just let him leave.”

“Hmmm… no, I think I’ll take it out on both of you. I wanna watch you scream while he fucks you, just so I know I didn’t miss out on anything.”

“Hyosang-”

“Jinnie,” Hyosang began, and his caramel eyes swept over Seokjin, making him suddenly swoon. “Be a good boy and get in that bedroom right now. Look how good the puppy’s being!”

He was probably referring to how I was rutting against him and panting needy breaths against his neck. The throbbing between my thighs left no room for processing the conversation at the time.

“Besides,” the Demon continued. “You and I both know…” He stroked the backs of his fingers down my cheek and I mewled, feeling the touch light my nerves on fire. “…that I always get what I want.”

~

I’ve woken up in a few crazy situations, but never as sore, tired, confused and disoriented as that morning. I didn’t want to move at all, my body was that spent. Light spilled subtly into the corners of my peripheral vision when I blinked myself awake. Blurry outlines finally took shape until I could recognise Seokjin’s bedroom. That felt right—I remember it being the last place I was last night. What came as a shock were the muddled memories that followed.

Flashes of a chestnut-haired Demon caused a moment of panic and regret in my gut. Stretching my tired limbs caused my hand to bump a firm, warm surface beside me, and I cringed. A split second later, I remembered Seokjin, and how this was actually his room, and his bed, and… Was that his Demon?

“T-tae…” Seokjin’s voice was gravely, and it suddenly occurred to me that if I felt like shit, his weak mortal body was probably a mess. “Are you okay?” he rasped, and I actually laughed.

“Am I okay?” I repeated, and I rolled lazily into a reclining position to face him. “I heal at ten times the rate you do. Who should be asking whom that question?”

“Forgive me for being concerned.”

I tried not to let a giant, stupid smile stretch my entire face until my cheeks hurt. I was unsuccessful.

“Thank you,” I finally said. I watched as he slowly moved his body to stretch—tenderly—and then attempt to sit up. “So… since we just spent the last eight hours as an Incubus’ play-things, would you like to explain to me why he was in here in the first place?”

Seokjin’s tired eyes turned on me, and I realised how unlikely it was that he would willingly say another word about it. Feeling uncomfortable on the end of that glare, I moved my eyes down, and challenged myself to remember if it was me or the Incubus that left those dark red marks all down his neck and chest. Maybe it was a combination of us both.

“I expected you to be occupied by the full moon,” Seokjin said quietly, changing the subject just enough.

“So I wouldn’t come over and see you with him?” At that, he went silent. “You talked to each other like old friends; don’t expect me not to read into this.”

“It’s none of your business, Taehyung.” His defensiveness struck a chord, and my heart throbbed.

“Your Demon Boyfriend screwed us both until we passed out last night—you owe me an explanation.”

“I owe you nothing.” His voice became bitter. He stood, very gingerly, and limped awkwardly into his ensuite. “He is not my boyfriend, and nothing he does, especially with his dick, is in any way my problem.”

“Yah,” I snapped. “What are you so defensive about? It’s not like I’m surprised that you made such a good bitch; I already knew that.”

The door between him and I slammed, and I got the message that I was about as welcome here now as I was the evening before.

~

I left wearing Seokjin’s clothes since mine had been shredded by long, black Incubus claws in the heat of the moment. Everything that happened felt like the heat of the moment. Now that the Demon was gone, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why I had been so unhesitant—so totally eager about letting him fuck the Hunter and myself mindlessly until we literally couldn’t even keep our eyes open.

Well, it’s not that I didn’t know why; it’s his Demon ability to completely seduce his targets. It takes little more than a glance to make the magic happen, and he feeds off the human’s pleasure to keep the seduction magic coming. It made sense, but it still felt implausible, because looking back, I couldn’t imagine letting him even so much as touch me. Before Seokjin, I would have looked at him with admiration—he was probably at least a nine—but everything changed when the Hunter entered my life. I never looked at anyone else, and that, for me, was scary enough in itself.

When I finally made it back to the woods, I noticed that Jimin was nearby. Before I began to undress so I could stash the Hunter’s clothes, the shaggy black wolf came into view. The first thing I noticed was the glitter in his aura, which made me suddenly unreasonably jealous.

“You smell like pre-schooler,” I grumbled as I shrugged out of the dress shirt that was at least two sizes too large.

Suddenly lifting himself up onto human feet, Jimin dusted his hands off. “What did you do last night?”

I hesitated, just long enough for anything I said to sound like a lie. Jimin’s brow rose slowly, just on one side so he clearly knew what was going through my mind.

“Okay… this might sound a little… aahhhhhh got my ass destroyed by an Incubus.”

“You got- wh-what?!”

“I’m aware this sounds bad, and I haven’t allowed myself to think about it for more than ten seconds yet, but! That Demon’s horny-magic made the Lycan roll over like a Chihuahua: not even kidding.”

For a few moments, it was like he literally thought I was crazy. “So you didn’t change?”

“Nope.”

“And you weren’t unconscious?”

“Not until he was done with me.”

“How long was that?”

“You mean how long did I last in bed?”

“I guess…”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“Taehyung, you’re avoiding the question.”

“About eight hours. Spread the word if you like—I’m a power-bottom.”

“Why did an Incubus come to you anyway?”

That struck a nerve. Why was an Incubus in Seokjin’s apartment? Why were they so close? Why was a Demon Hunter letting a dangerous, controlling sexual Demon fuck him? “I dunno, I guess I’m just irresistible.”

Just in time to distract me, an anxious-looking Angel skidded to a stop beside naked Jimin.

“Taehyung, you’re okay…”

I blinked, and suddenly realised why both of them had come seeking me first thing in the morning. “Ooooohhhh! You guys thought, because Jimin wasn’t in the woods to smash my head in, I’d go nuts and kill people?” The sarcasm was definitely a form of defence.

“No, Taehyung,” Hoseok began, and I realised in a moment of frustration that he, too, seemed to have gotten laid by his human. “I was worried you might do something that might gain the attention of the Hunters. If you changed last night, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.”

His concern caused my defensive mood to falter. I shouldn’t be surprised, really; he was an Angel.

“Well, I didn’t change, okay? You can go screw your humans every full moon for all I care.”

Jimin ginned and Hoseok’s brow rose as though he didn’t understand my phrasing.

“Wait!” the older Wolf exclaimed, and his head whipped to face Hoseok. “You did nail him! Whoa, bonded on the same night…”

“Y…yeah okay, but Taehyung-” As though struck by lightning, Hoseok went rigid and made a horrified face like someone had stabbed him. “Yoongi,” he breathed, his mouth gaping as though blood would tumble from it any second now.

Surprise and confusion covered my face when the Angel threw the top half of his clothes off him and leapt into the air. His huge, feathered wings burst from his back in their disturbing, biologically implausible way. Confusion rapidly turned to shock as the powerful beat of his wings blew a gust of cold air and autumn leaves towards Jimin and me, because those wings were no longer white. In fact, they were nowhere within the spectrum of anything that could include white.

Hoseok’s wings were black as night.

~

Jimin and I shifted to Lupe and ran to follow the Angel (or was he Fallen now?). He must have deemed it irrelevant that we were close enough to civilisation for humans to see him over the trees as he soared towards his human. Every beat of his powerful wings blew up a trail of leaves that was impossible to miss. The house wasn’t too far away, and Hoseok made it long before we did. By the time I skidded to a halt outside the back fence, I smelt him. Hyosang was here. Here, at the human’s house. I literally tucked my tail and bolted, with almost no concern for what my friends might think. Jimin yapped at me but didn’t follow, and I didn’t stop until I was back with the pack.

Panting hard, I trotted towards Junhong where he was wrestling with a smaller, almost as white wolf. They both looked up when I approached, and I leant into their puppy-like affection in the blissful ignorance of my Lupe form.

Later in the evening, Junhong and I went for a walk on our Anthrokos legs, dressed in sweats due to the descending winter chill. If it weren’t for him bringing it up in conversation, I would have forgotten about the reason I’d come rushing back here in the first place.

“I’ve never seen you hang around during the full moon before; can you control it now?”

“No,” I sighed. “Usually Jimin puts me out.”

“But he was with his human this moon, right?” Junhong said, a small pout on his cute lips. I knew he was jealous—so was I, since imprinting has the reputation of being the greatest joy a Wolf will ever know—but he didn’t linger on it.

“Yeah,” I said with a short nod.

“So this moon, you bolted away from us because…?”

I hugged my arms around myself, gripping slightly to the grey hoodie. “Jimin once told me… once you imprint, you have a reason, a... an anchor to hold the Demon back during the full moon. I… I thought maybe…”

I could only imagine the searching look he was giving me. “This is about that Hunter, isn’t it?” I nodded, and he continued. “You imprinted on him?”

“I don’t know…” I really didn’t. Everybody always talked about imprinting, giving the wildest fantasies to those who had not yet experienced it. Of course I didn’t know what it would really feel like, but I knew enough to recognise potential signs. Since Seokjin, I only had eyes for him. Sure, that might be a crush, especially since I’m human enough for those imaginary attachment feelings to affect me. I had no way of confirming the real depth of my feelings just yet.

“Do you love him?” Junhong asked, looking at me with huge, deep, sky-blue eyes.

I felt my chest fill and my stomach knot with the urge to say yes, but I couldn’t determine whether I was ready to confirm it to myself, let alone him.

With a sympathetic expression that I would have thought beyond his years, he gripped my shoulder and sighed. “You don’t have to say yet, Taetae.” And I gave him a small, rueful smile.

Realising I had still yet to tell Junhong about his Hunter’s little ‘episode’ with me, I made sure we were well away from the rest of the pack and gratefully changed the subject.

“Junhong-ah,” I began, feeling excited already, despite the slight chance that the pup might be mortified that I’d given the Hunter his confession without permission. “Yonggukie Hyung-”

Despite his being in Anthrokos form, I saw his hackles rise, and he turned towards me with wide eyes sparkling.

I continued, excited. “He was mortified that he hurt your feelings, you know?”

“What? He said that?!”

“Not in quite so many words, but he’s incapable of hiding his feelings.”

A disbelieving smile covered his face and his brows pinched up in the middle. “Yeah… he… he’s really a softie, huh?”

I nodded, an uncontainable smile on my lips as well.

“Aaaahhhrrghh!” Junhong suddenly whined, startling me. “I like him so much, Taetae-yah… Do you think anyone would notice if I did what you do and…”

He didn’t continue, and didn’t need to. “Your mother keeps an eye on you, and so does Daehyun; there’s nobody that watches me like that, so it’s a little different…”

“Daehyun watches you as well, you know.”

“Well, yeah, to make sure I’m not some outcast spy…”

Junhong chuckled as he said: “no, he loves you, and he’s always worried about you. You don’t make it easy, spending so much time in the human world.”

My whole body seized up with an unfamiliar, unwanted emotion. “W-what?”

“You seem surprised. He’s your sire, dummy—you’re basically his child.”

“Ppppfffffttt.” That noise was a cover up for how emotionally unstable the kid’s words had made me. To think that someone cared about me in that way was something I’d entirely given up on. Daehyun didn’t give me a chance to see him as a father-figure, but it made my heart clench to think he saw himself as one. It had never occurred to me, in all of these years, how much I craved that personal protectiveness that I’d lost with the passing of my family.

“Yah, don’t look so surprised,” Junhong continued. “Daehyun saved you, didn’t he? You’re the only human he’s ever bitten.”

My jaw trembled, which proved that it was high time to change the subject. “So, do you want to come out with me to see Yongguk again?”

Once again, the snowy-haired Wolf’s human-like form stiffened. “I… D-does he want to see me?”

“He asked me the same about you.”

A slow, ecstatic smile spread across the youthful face, and I realised I’d made the right decision.

~


	26. Better This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

Jimin—wolf Jimin, that is—burst though the front door so noisily that Hoseok and I heard him from my bedroom. I didn’t exactly want Yooncheol seeing me with Hoseok, so we camped out in my bedroom for a while, and I only left to serve and eat dinner. It alarmed me to realise just how dependent I had become on Hoseok’s closeness, when just being a room away made me fidgety. I couldn’t stop my eyes from constantly darting towards my room as though he might come out. I didn’t want him to—that was the whole point of him being in there in the first place—but I wanted to go back in there badly enough that I could have skipped dinner just to do so.

“What about you, Yoongi-shi? Have you got a girlfriend?”

Yooncheol’s sudden question made my eyes widen. “A g-” I choked and cleared my throat. “What? No… No, I don’t.”

Jungkook poked at his dinner with silver chopsticks, his tongue in his cheek. He didn’t need to look up from his food for me to see the look on his face. Little shit. I didn’t mind if he knew I liked guys, I suppose. I was technically ‘out,’ but that didn’t make it an entirely comfortable thing to talk about.

Just to avoid the misunderstanding that could have followed, I admitted: “I’m actually in a relationship… with a guy.” I hadn’t told anyone before, really. When I said it to Jungkook, he already knew the most sensitive part, and I was confident he wouldn’t judge me for it. In Yooncheol’s case, I knew it wouldn’t be life-changing if he did decide to judge me, but that didn’t make it easy to say.

“Oh, wow,” the kid said, then smiled. “I mean, that’s cool. You both batting for the other team?” he rhetorically asked. Jungkook laughed loudly, and I grinned and hid it behind a mouthful. “Do you ever fight over guys you meet?”

It was my turn to laugh then. “If past experience is anything to go by, Jungkook and I have very different interests.”

“In theory, though; if this guy was smoking hot…”

“Yoongi can’t even function around attractive guys, though,” Jungkook teased. “If the guy was ‘smoking hot,’ he’d be a train-wreck.”

“Whereas Jungkook thinks he’s king shit, and wouldn’t even admit another human could be more attractive than himself,” I combated. Kookie poked his tongue out at me, giving me a face that subtly assured me he’d picked up on word-choice. Jungkook certainly hadn’t met any ‘human’ he adored—not compared to his wolf.

I managed to set the kids up on Jungkook’s gaming consol while I did a rushed job of the dishes so I could hurry back to my room. Hoseok calmly glanced up at me as I burst through the door.

“Hey,” I sighed quietly. “What have you gotten up to in here?”

Hoseok just hummed contently as he bundled me up in his arms on the bed. All of a sudden, I didn’t need an answer. My eyes drifted shut as his smell surrounded me, and his gentle hands soothed tension from my muscles. I filled my lungs, finally feeling safe and content for the first time all night. His chest was the perfect place to nuzzle into, and I could have fallen asleep right then and there. Had I not been determined to pick his brain for more of his ‘spirit training,’ I definitely would never have moved.

~

After Jungkook and Yooncheol had gone to bed, Hoseok brought our training to an abrupt end.

“Jongup is here.”

“What? Oh, right.” I reluctantly let go of my concentration, knowing Hoseok wouldn’t continue to school me in the ability when he had business to attend to.

“We’re gathering just out the back of your house, so you’ll be safer than ever, okay? It shouldn’t take long.”

“It better not. I’m not gonna sleep until you come back.”

Hoseok smiled gently and stroked my chin. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

After he climbed silently out the window and disappeared, I fell back into that lonely, Angel-less silence that I hated. I busied myself on my phone to pass the time. It felt strange to not have study to do. I felt oddly free, but also oddly not. Maybe that was just a lingering pressure from university, and I hadn’t gotten used to my freedom yet. Maybe it was my subconscience reminding me that my life was at stake, and I was sitting here scrolling through my Facebook feed.

Hoseok hadn’t been gone for fifteen minutes before I cracked. He said they were just outside, so I went to find them. The night was slightly too cold to wear just a sweater, but I wasn’t going to go back in. The darkness obscured my vision, but I found the gate latch with my eyes before focusing my hearing. I could distinguish hushed voices through the back fence before I opened the gate.

“I’m no longer acquainted with Heaven,” Hoseok’s voice assured someone, and it caused a thick lump to form in my throat. A foreign voice asked ‘how,’ his tone dripping with surprise, and I unlatched the gate to answer that for myself.

“I’m how.” Hoseok wasn’t the closest person to me, and I treaded carefully as I approached his side. Many beings stood around, and I had no idea how I would know who was what. A few stood in a small clump, dressed similarly in black-as-death coats and pants. Some were hardly dressed at all, like Taehyung. Jongup, who I remembered meeting, wore a very casual combination of shirt and pants as though he gave it no thought whatsoever.

“How does an Angel lose connections with Heaven?” a tall, ashen-haired man asked. Man may not have been the species for him, on second thought. His eyes shone an impossible blue, and his intense gaze met mine for too long. As he spoke, long, curved fangs showed themselves, protruding from his top and bottom jaws, and I wondered how he spoke at all, let alone coherently. His glowing eyes and fangs reminded me a little of Jimin and Taehyung, but I couldn’t be sure if he was a Werewolf—not when I didn’t even know all of the Demons out there. Besides, his eyes were blue, not golden, and his fangs seemed marginally larger than those of my friends.

“Falling,” a short, darkly-dressed guy answered. “Angels can bond with humans just like you Wolves, and it cuts them right out of Heaven for good.”

The first spoke again, his blue eyes proving his complete and utter bewilderment. “Th-then why?”

That, I also knew the answer to. I slid my hand down Hoseok’s wrist, and his hand closed in mine instinctively. That seemed to clear it up for everyone around us.

“Then… Yoongi,” the smart-sounding guy said, making me look suddenly at him, surprised. “To my knowledge of Angels, that spirit bond should give you total protection from Lilith and all of her Demons. You’re… sacred.”

I laughed. Sacred. Wouldn’t that be convenient? “But what’s more important to her?” I rhetorically asked, ignoring that he knew my name when I had no idea who he was. “That rule, or my bounty?”

Hoseok’s voice was morbidly hopeless when he broke the hesitant silence. “Isn’t it obvious?” His free hand waved around as emphasis. “We wouldn’t have a problem were Yoongi ‘sacred,’ as you say.”

“And I’m not the only one at risk here,” I hurried to say. My life was on the bottom of my list of priorities when it came down to it, even if I’d never tell Hoseok that. “M-my brother was attacked yesterday.” It hurt to think about it, but I felt better that my information seemed to rattle and shock our company.

The smart one asked me if he was marked, and I told him he was, just as another voice added: “And bonded to Shin Jiho’s Werewolf.” I didn’t know who that guy was, but the image of injured Jungkook haunted me heavily, and Hoseok squeezed my hand.

“Then,” Smart Guy added, “almost anyone you interact with is threatened?”

“N-no,” I hurried. “Not unmarked humans, right?” That question was pointed at anyone who wanted to enlighten me, but my eyes found Hoseok’s. My Angel returned my gaze with eyes that glowed with empathy and worry.

“I don’t know,” he whispered to me, and let go of my hand to stroke his fingers through my hair.

“It sounds like the rules aren’t being followed in this case,” the smaller guy said. “Well, what do we do? We know now what these gatherings are all about… and it isn’t anything like what we’ve faced before.” From the way he spoke, I allowed myself to assume he and the two taller men flanking him were the Hunters Hoseok and Jimin talked about.

“Demons aren’t usually after just one human,” another Hunter said. “Especially one who has protection.”

“Is…” the smaller Hunter began, and then turned back to Hoseok. “Do you still count as ‘protection’?”

Hoseok shook his head and swallowed. “In who’s opinion?” I hated it when he looked confused like that; it unnerved me, to say the least.

“Heaven’s?” the Hunter tried. Hoseok’s expression changed while he thought.

“I honestly think I don’t count as anything to Heaven anymore. As for Yoongi’s place with Heaven, I’m sure he is still protected. Dongyoon’s status granted his entire line protection.”

Dongyoon. Nobody had said my father’s name out loud for a long time. It caused a thickening of my throat that took a while to work out.

“But Lilith?”

“It’s anybody’s guess,” my Angel shrugged.

“That Vampire,” Blue-Eyes suddenly said, “what did it say?”

I gave Hoseok a look as if to say ‘what Vampire??’ but he didn’t react.

“‘She’ll have him,’ and so on,” a Hunter grumbled. “Killed him after a few hours.”

I tensed at that. They just… killed him? The way the Hunter talked about it made it seem so… sterile. If they’d said ‘it,’ I wouldn’t have been as disturbed, but ‘him?’ It seemed too… human. Hoseok noticed my distress, as usual, and rubbed my arm.

“But that could mean anything,” the smart Hunter explained. “Or nothing, honestly. Not all spirits speak with reason. World-walking Demons like Vampires are often disinclined to be of any use whatsoever. I guess the question is…” he continued, “what now?”

“We need to find out… exactly what this is. We need to go to someone who heard it straight from Lilith.” Hoseok sounded deathly serious, which wasn’t like him at all.

“Do you…” the smaller Hunter began, pausing as though he couldn’t get his head around it. “Do you think there’s any sense in contacting a world-walking Demon? As though they might help you?” His tone sounded almost patronising, and I felt Hoseok radiate frustration.

“I’m not going to sit around and do nothing, if that’s the alternative,” Hoseok confirmed, and it was incredibly final. He’d made up his mind already. “Vampires are colonised in this realm and live in civilised covens. There’s a chance I can find out what I need to know.”

“How?” the small Hunter squeaked. “Bargaining? You gonna bring some human snacks along?”

I felt it even stronger then, when my Angel radiated full-on anger. I felt it in a surreally inhuman way, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything else when I realised what it was. I could feel his emotion. Physically, like it was me who was angry, I could really, truly feel it.

I didn’t know what else to do, and I softly laid my hand on his arm. The heat of his anger lessened then, as if in direct response to my touch, and I took a relieved breath. “Unless you’d like to offer yourself, Yoo Youngjae…” Hoseok hissed. Youngjae must have been that Hunter’s name, I figured.

Youngjae straightened his shoulders as he spoke, after a silence. “If you plan to approach a coven of Vampires, I suggest you don’t take the human, and also, bring backup. I don’t doubt your power, but by no means should you underestimate theirs. We’re contactable if you require our services.”

Hoseok wasn’t fuming by the time Youngjae finished, and he returned my touches softly, looking in my eyes with something like thanks. He turned to Jongup then, and told him that he should stay inside the fence to be near Yooncheol for the night. I didn’t let my eyes linger on the other Angel, and instead glanced around at the dispersing company. The Hunters gathered and mumbled amongst themselves, and Taehyung went to join the blue-eyed guy who had done a lot of the speaking. I wondered again if he was a Werewolf, by the way Taehyung stuck close to his side, and how he moved with the same sort of animalistic grace as Jimin. He met my eyes for a moment, and it surprised me when he smiled. It was a comforting smile, one that didn’t bare his inhuman fangs. However scary these Demons could be, I began to fear them less and less. Maybe the word ‘Demon’ had a worse reputation that it deserved.

~

Hoseok was tense and lost in a broody mood when we snuck back into the house. I, on the other hand, was thrilled to have felt what I felt: Hoseok’s feelings, his feelings. He’d been telling me for months that he could feel me—could tell when I was upset or scared with such accuracy that it always surprised me—and it hardly seemed real to experience that for myself.

“Hoseok-ah, what am I feeling right now?” I whispered as he sauntered lazily to the bed. With one corner of my blankets in hand, he turned and looked at me.

“Better than I am,” he said, and then looked me up and down. “Kind of exhilarated, actually. Why?”

“Why do I want to know, or why am I exhilarated?”

Hoseok smiled then, and I was glad I could put that look on his face. “Both.”

I walked towards the bed, shedding my clothing until I was in my boxers. “I’m exhilarated because when you were out there,” I said, pushing him down onto the bed and climbing in beside him, “I felt it, your anger. It was like I was angry. That’s exhilarating because I finally know what it feels like for you, and I can… I can finally… you know, connect with you, or whatever.”

“Or whatever?”

“Shut up! You know what I mean. Anyway, as for the ‘why,’ I asked because I want to feel it again.”

Hoseok dug himself deep under my covers and dragged them over his head with a guttural sound of frustration.

I reeled. “You have never groaned at me before…”

“Yoongi, I know you like this, but you have to take it easy.”

“Where did you learn to groan like that?”

“And I don’t want to refuse you. I’m terrible at refusing you.”

“Okay, okay,” I said. I closed my eyes and imagined he was naked. I imagined he was sliding his hands up my body and breathing his warm breath across my skin. I imagined his nose against my neck and his lips tracing words across my jaw. I almost groaned as well. “What am I feeling now?” I asked when I was sure there would be no confusion.

After a hesitation, Hoseok emerged from his blanket hiding space. “How do you even do that? One second you’re celebrating a newfound talent, and the next you’re aroused?”

“Humans,” I said, rolling my eyes theatrically.

“It’s after one am, my love,” Hoseok whispered, but rolled to face himself entirely towards me. My fingers clenched with the need to rip his shirt to pieces.

“Then let’s make two am our curfew.”

A small, affectionate grin spread across his lips, and I felt the emotion in us both, just a light tingle of it. It made me sigh, and I felt relaxing bliss spread across my entire face. “It’s so beautiful, Hoseok. How can I feel this…?”

My Angel seemed thrilled at that, and he grinned all teethy at me as he bent over to plant his lips on mine. Itchy fingers shot up to make fists in his shirt, and I gasped at the feel: half distracted and trying to keep up and every bit destroyed by him all over again.

“What can mmmm…” Hoseok began, cut off in the middle by my impatient mouth. “What can we do in an hour, then?”

“Huh? What can’t we do?” I breathed, pulling him harder against me by his shirt. It hit me exactly what he meant just a moment later. “Wait, you mean… what… can we do now?”

“Mmmm,” he hummed, nodding gently while sliding himself gently over the top of me and pulling the covers tightly around us. “I mean, what do you want to do that we haven’t done before?”

“Oh my god.”

Hoseok grinned and nuzzled my cheek. “Come on~ Jimin teases me when he talks about things I don’t understand. I want you to show me.”

“Sh-… show you what?”

Hoseok’s nose wrinkled in thought for a moment, then he tipped his chin up to touch his lips to my cheek and whispered “fellatio?”

My exhale shuddered. “Oh.”

“You know what it is?”

“I do,” I squeaked.

“It makes you nervous…” he observed, his brows pinching.

“It does.”

“You don’t want to show me? Does it hurt?”

I suddenly grinned, despite the attack of butterflies in my stomach. “I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head. “And I-… I do want to. It’s just… holy shit.”

His brow shot up on one side. “Your cursing can take so many meanings…”

“Look, I’m trembling just thinking about it. I want to, but… god, I’ll probably get off just doing it to you.”

“Can you get on with it so we’re on the same page, then?”

I wanted to laugh, but ended up wheezing pathetically as I pushed him off me and onto his back. “I… don’t know if there’s some specific way to go about this, so… bear with me.” I held his eyes while he nodded, then kissed his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips. With one last deep breath, I sat up and pulled the covers over me as I crawled back to sit on his thighs.

“I’m kind of excited,” Hoseok mumbled. “Should I be excited?”

I suddenly wondered if he might not like it, especially since I had no idea what I was doing. He hadn’t showed any dislike for anything else I’d done, and logic told me he would probably enjoy almost anything, as long as it involved me. I felt similarly about him. That didn’t change the nervous feeling bubbling in my stomach as I eased him out of his jeans and underwear.

“Just don’t expect a miracle,” I whispered, glancing into his eyes before shuffling back and lying myself between his legs. The covers settled comfortably over my head, and I felt comfortable in the knowledge that I was hidden. Hoseok didn’t move while I gathered the courage—didn’t even budge when I wrapped my fingers around his cock and brought it to my lips. It hit me when I flattened my tongue over his tip and his taste—along with the little sigh and buck of his hips—washed me clean of all hesitation. Such a simple stroke wrought a promising reaction, so I had no reason to think I’d do anything wrong. The shudder of delight it sent through my chest made me tingle all over, and in just seconds I had hushed whimpers dripping from his parted lips.

Somehow, his voice was still even. “Yoongi-yah, that feels so good,” he said, just a tiny hitch in his voice. I moaned deeply in response, hoping he’d get some indication of how seriously hard I was just from doing this. I saw stars from every sound he made, from the tug of his fingers in my hair and the tense trembles of his thighs under my hands and chest, from the way he twitched and throbbed in my mouth until he was rock-hard, hot and swollen. I thought I might pass out from dizziness, but was brought back to earth when I almost choked myself. Luckily, Hoseok didn’t notice the accident, and my shock was hidden from him by the feel of my throat closing around him—he seemed to enjoy that.

Time passed too quickly like this. Hoseok was almost too loud, sucking in breaths through clenched teeth and reminding me how nice it felt. Once again, I wondered why I was ever nervous. I stopped my hips from grinding into the bed the moment I realised I was—it certainly explained I was so far along. Amongst being worked up by his sounds, his feel, and his impossible taste, the friction had almost gotten me off. I sat up to relieve myself of the opportunity to let it happen again, and Hoseok suddenly dragged me by my biceps to his face to devour my mouth. My tongue dove past my lips before I even thought about it, tasting all that was him while he was offering.

“You want… to stop?” Hoseok panted amongst wet, heavy kisses.

“No, I just… needed a qu…uick break,” I gasped. “It makes me so hard, doing… th-that to you.”

“Starting to question what doesn’t,” Hoseok teased, and I growled as I bit his lip.

“Are you close?” I half begged, whimpering a little as I shifted my hips on his. I couldn’t help but roll against him, but regretted it when the coiling in my belly almost made my legs buckle.

“Not as c-close as you, wow.”

“Aaahhnnng.” I had meant to scold him for patronising me, but that thought went out the window when his fingers brushed my cotton-clad arousal. “Hoseok, I’m ssssnngg close…”

I didn’t have to tell him twice, and he had me on my back where he had been just seconds ago before I could even blink. A half relieved, half over-excited tremble ran from my head to my toes as my boxers were tugged down my legs. All of that was muffled by shock when my throbbing tip was suddenly enveloped by slick heat. I shouted a curse so loudly that Hoseok slid a hand up to cover my mouth. I moaned into his warm palm and let him take me the final few steps over the edge. I wanted to warn him as I finished, but it ended up resembling incoherent mumbles and almost-gargling animal sounds around his soft hand.

And finish, I did. Hoseok didn’t move as I planted my feet and bucked my hips at him. He didn’t pull away, and that just made it a thousand times hotter, and my end hit me hard and hot and merciless with Hoseok’s smell, taste, hot hands, and malicious mouth working to drive me insane. I was a panting mess by the time I could finally see straight again, and my knees were weak and wobbly when I tried to lay my legs flat. Hoseok sat up stiffly, moving like he, too, had trouble controlling his limbs. His long fingers slipped from his cock as he rocked back to sit on his heels, drips of white collected in his palm. I felt almost disappointed that I hadn’t been the one to deliver his orgasm, but I was used to that by now. I knew I’d have to work on my own endurance if I ever wanted to get him off first.

My eyes trailed up his—unfortunately still clothed—body, until his face. I wasn’t sure how to feel from his expression. I watched as he lifted his messy hand up under his face, and my jaw dropped as he opened his mouth and… oh, right. Should I have found it hot that my load was dripping out of his mouth? Maybe not, but I did. In fact, I found it such a confusing mix of sexy and endearing that I didn’t even know what expression was on my face. I ended up laughing breathlessly, and Hoseok and I both clambered up on unsteady legs to clean up.

~

It wasn’t light when I woke up, not even a little bit, which confused me, because I hadn’t woken up before dawn in years. Gently stretching my limbs out, I realised I was alone in the bed, and that didn’t alarm me, but it brought a pout to my lips. I heard a distant voice sounding outside, and my brow creased—it was somehow familiar. I thought I’d been hearing it in my dream before I woke up, and then I realised it must have been what woke me. Lifting myself up on my elbows made me aware of all the strained muscles from earlier in the evening, and I tried not to let the memories get in the way.

The voice was a little closer to my window then, and it sounded like a shout. I got up, trying not to fall on sleepy legs, and looked outside into the dark, early morning. Suddenly, Jimin appeared at the window, and a terrified expression covered his face. His eyes locked in mine, and I yanked the window open.

“Yoongi…” he puffed, and his brows suddenly pinched up, making him look worried and sad.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Hoseok,” he breathed, and took a few more breaths. I almost urged him to say more, but was suddenly wracked with terror about what he might say.

“Hoseok what?” I squeaked, and my hands began to shake.

“He’s… gone.”

~


	27. Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

For the second time in under a year, I woke up. I had never before slept twice in a period of less than a hundred human years—waking up still felt wrong. My senses weren’t yet fully adjusted when I realised my position. Bound, I thought, and suddenly, awakening came much faster. My wrists were pressed hard against a cold surface, spread wide from my body, and I was upright. I didn’t want to worry. I wanted to know where I was, how I got there, and why.

Worse than the binding was the inability to feel my wings. Gone, I thought with sudden, shocking misery, my wings are gone. No matter how deeply I reached for them, there was not even the scarcest presence of the precious appendages inside me. I allowed a harsh shudder through my shoulders before I forced myself to stay calm. There had to be an explanation.

Footsteps filled the gloomy silence, and I searched the scattered light amongst the darkness for a human figure to match the human aura. The walls around me, I noticed, were hard, black stone bricks, and high, barred windows let in streaks of twilight. Booted feet stepped into a strip of sunlight, paused, and then the darkly-clothed man dodged the patch of light in his path. A few metres from the wall from which I hung, a familiar face took shape amongst the shadows.

But... It couldn't be. “Woo Jiho?”

“Marvellous, isn’t it?” the Vampire seemed to mock. “You didn’t have a clue that I was not at all Human, did you?”

Mutely, I examined his dull, colourless spirit. It could not be… Had he taken my wings and my sight? Was this my power, now?

“What did you do to me?” I almost growled, and the voice sounded threatening, even to me.

“To you? Apart from binding your wings and nailing you to the wall, nothing at all, Fallen. The question you mean to ask is ‘what did I do to myself?’”

Nailing? I glanced to the side at my left wrist, and the ominous streaks that left tracks down my arms, dripped to the floor. Indeed, my wrists were nailed through, and bound with chain to be held in place. The pain shot through my limbs and settled, throbbing and sharp, until I had to swallow a groan.

The Vampire, lingering still at a distance, let his almond eyes rake downwards before he moved his gaze across the room. He began to slowly pace, one arm around his chest; the other propped up and touching his face.

“Why am I here?” I asked, suddenly desperate to find out when—and if—I could see Yoongi.

“You’re not curious as to why you cannot detect me?” Jiho asked, his slow, precise movements resembling an apex predator circling its prey. “It’s no small advancement in technology, Fallen.”

“I have many questions, Prince,” I spat, sounding more scornful the more he taunted me, “but you’ll regret denying me the answers I seek.”

He faced me then, and a grin-like movement of his lips flashed blade-like canines, as though threats might change my mind. “I don’t think you’ll find you have any impact on what I’ll regret at all.” He spoke impeccably around such unusual teeth, and I figured he must be practiced in threatening people.

“Tell me what you want with me, since my human is clearly not here.” That was the question I needed answered. I knew I was nowhere near Yoongi, which meant neither was this Vampire, but I refused to let that comfort me. We were separated, and I could feel that he was alive, but I could also feel that he knew well the trouble he was in.

“What do I want? Nothing other than what I already have; I separated the two of you!” With his arms spread and a theatrically victorious expression, he stared at me as if to let that sink in. “Don’t seem so amazed, Fallen. Nobody else has been able to get an Angel away from his bonded—dare I say ‘ever’?”

“I don’t know,” I hissed, tired of his self-involved mind games.

“Aw,” he mocked, and made patronising tutting noises. “You’re but a young pup of an Angel, aren’t you, though? It wouldn’t be fair of me to ask you such difficult questions.”

He was lucky I was no slave to my temper.

“Let me enlighten you, Fallen. I am the first. You’re further removed from your pretty little pup than any Angel has been before, and guess who’s the mastermind behind your ingenious capture?” Jiho stepped closer to me then, and dropped his arms to his side. They swung, heavy and powerful at his sides, emphasising his confident posture. He believed I was entirely incapacitated, and I hated to think he might be right. “Go on,” he taunted, close enough to spit on, “guess.”

“If not me,” I began, feeling pain and frustration mingle until I could hardly think straight, “then what do you want with Yoongi? Is his death worth that much to Lillith?”

“Rude, aren’t you?” He scoffed. “It was me, by the way. Just ask me why you can’t detect me or my fellows. Come on, it’s impressive, I promise.”

Despite his façade of confidence, Jiho must have been aware to whom he was speaking. Young—in spirit terms—or not, I wasn’t a being to mess with. “Answer me!” I shouted, and never in a million years would he admit to a soul that he flinched.

After a hesitation—a moment to collect himself whilst glaring angrily in my eyes, the Vampire huffed an almost confident laugh. “Your silly pet is useless without you,” he taunted, getting even closer to my face. “All alone and afraid, he’ll seek out a way to find you: save you. He’ll put himself in a position of vulnerability to find a way to set you free.”

“He isn’t stupid enough to go anywhere without powerful allies,” I combated, but the Vampire chuckled darkly.

“You mean not brave enough, don’t you? I've smelt that human right up close, and he reeks of pathetic terror. He’ll surround himself with your dogs, I’m sure, but where will he find himself when he realises what we want with him? When he sees that everyone he loves can be free if he just gives himself up?”

My heart thudded hard in my ribcage at the thought of Yoongi sacrificing himself. I felt that he’d become more impulsive recently, and more desperate to keep his brother safe. It killed me to think that he wouldn’t hesitate before giving himself up for his family.

A slow, predatory smile crawled across the Demon’s lips, and Jiho took in a dramatic breath of pleasure. “Oh, you know I’m right, don’t you, Fallen?”

“I won’t let you kill him,” I hissed, and the words lit something inside me that sparked a tiny flame of hope.

“Kill him? Oh, Angel, you have got the wrong idea. Lilith, my queen, does not want to hurt your pretty little human, Fallen. Lilith wants to lead him.”

~~~~~~~


	28. Crossing the Border

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

“Killing an Angel is impossible.”

It was the only good thing I’d heard all day. Suddenly, as Yooncheol’s Angel explained that Hoseok wasn’t in any real danger, I found hope. Almost everything else rushed past me, too fast to notice or understand, but that struck deep and settled. He can’t die… He’ll never die while I’m alive. Jungkook seemed upset—worried about me, maybe—and Yooncheol seemed to have overheard our conversation about the supernatural, but there wasn’t anything that could change the way I felt at the time. I met Jungkook’s eyes as he spoke, and I almost lost my battle with a breakdown at the sight of his huge, sad eyes.

“We will find him, Hyung. I promise you,” my brother whispered, and the shudder that wracked my chest was almost too powerful; I almost gave in.

The conversation in Jungkook’s doorway became heated as Yooncheol demanded Jongup explain himself: “what do you mean you’re an Angel?” he cried, and I made the decision to inject Yooncheol with some of my first-hand knowledge about his dilemma. There was nothing more useless than crying about something I didn’t know how to fix just yet, so I called him over and sat him down while Jungkook took Jimin out for the time being.

Now… how to explain this world without sounding crazy?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Explaining it all to Yooncheol wasn’t difficult; in fact, it felt good. I hadn’t talked about it to anyone in a while—all the shock and confusion of coming into this world—and it was sort of… freeing. Jongup did a lot of the talking, too. Wings out and all, he touched Yooncheol a lot, and everything he did only made the boy calmer. By the time I felt like he wasn’t about to get up and run screaming, I was stir-crazy. I hadn’t wanted to leave my house in weeks, knowing Hoseok was inside, but the moment I knew he was gone, I wanted to go too.

I did what often helped to relax and calm me; I cleaned. I washed up, folded clothes, swept and mopped—anything to take my mind to another place. It was enough for a while; a few hours passed before I felt like crying again, and by then Jungkook was home, and through him I found some strength. It didn’t last, however, and by the evening, I found myself succumbing to a full-blown panic attack. More than anything, I was thankful Jongup had already taken his human home.

Jungkook’s comfort helped a little, and the first words I choked out sounded pathetically like sobs. “I haven’t gone this long without him since he moved in here… I didn’t think I was this dependent, but I don’t even know what to do when he’s not here.” My tears began to create wet patches on my shirt, but I couldn’t rein it in. “What if someone decided to attack now?”

Jimin, sitting close by on a couch, curled up a little tighter into an inhuman crouch. “That’s a good point. I feel like I should call for backup.”

“You can do that?” Jungkook asked, stroking his hand up and down my back.

“Taehyung shouldn’t be busy,” Jimin reasoned, “and his friends as well. Failing that... there’s my pack...”

“See if Taehyung is free then,” I trembled. “And his Beta?”

“Daehyun?” Jimin asked, and his lips twisted. “I suppose. I’ll feel better if I know you guys are safe.”

I nodded, thankful. I did feel better that someone was still looking out for me—someone who could help keep us safe.

“Maybe sleep will help,” Jungkook offered. “You’re tired.”

I barely had to agree before the sudden desire to sleep hit me like a truck. With heavy lids, I made my way towards my bed... my cold, empty bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking up without Hoseok was one thing, but getting up to find a nasty wound on the back of my brother’s neck was entirely another. Not because I was afraid or worried for him, but because one look at it told me precisely how it was done, and I knew there was nothing I could do or say about it. If Jungkook had been frightened or angry about it, I might have stepped in, but on the contrary, he made sure I saw him showering the wolf with affection.

Forcing it to the back of my mind, I began the day with the most positive outlook I could. A knock at the door made me a little nervous, and I glanced at Jimin, sitting casually in Human form on the couch. Unsurprisingly, he understood right away.

“It’s those Hunters,” he said, his nose twitching as though he’d caught a scent.

At the door, Jimin nodded his head to Youngjae, the small, softer-looking one. Behind him were the other two, and I didn’t like it one bit when I discovered weapons, strapped and clipped in plain sight to their persons.

Leaping up, I beckoned for Jungkook to stay right where he was. Jimin moved out of the way to let me stand in the doorway. It did make it a little better when the Hunters offered me a bow of respect. At least, it made it less like they wanted to kill me.

“Min Yoongi.” Youngjae’s smaller frame didn’t detract from his air of authority. “I apologise for showing up on your doorstep just like this.”

I crossed my arms—maybe that would make me look bigger?—and nodded for him to continue.

“I’m afraid it’s come to our attention that you’re possibly… no longer under the protection of your Angel.”

As much as I may have looked composed, hearing it like that ripped my heart out. Having to gulp down the thick lump in my throat—twice—I managed to answer the Hunter. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it.”

“We’re here to help.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For some reason, the Hunters really did want to help. I invited them all inside on the proviso that their weapons remain sheathed unless someone’s life was at stake. Youngjae—the only one who spoke—relayed to me an outline of the research he’d already done into Hoseok’s disappearance. It was definitely his job, the research and such. He was so precise, picking up on things I wouldn’t have considered at all and digging so deep he found out anything that could offer him even the slightest help.

While the three professional Assassins sat wedged almost comically on my biggest couch, Jimin crouched dog-like at Jungkook’s feet as he sat on the arm of my single-seater. “The only reason I can find,” Youngjae began, “that the Werewolves were unable to detect Hoseok’s captors is that they have manufactured a sort of… shield.”

I thought about his words for a minute, as they reminded me of something Hoseok had said to me once. “Like a ward?”

The way every pair of eyes in the room fixed on me then made my skin crawl.

“Precisely,” Youngjae confirmed.

“A-and so,” I hesitantly continued, “that means their spirits… are undetectable?”

Youngjae shifted on my couch—straightened his back as a sort of distraction from his thinking-face. “Your Angel taught you a lot.”

“Not enough,” I sighed. “So, is there a way, then, of tracing the Demons… or the captors?”

“Not that I can think of, I’m afraid. I must ask you though, what is it that makes you stay here when you’re so clearly in danger?”

Hesitating with mild alarm, I glanced at my little brother. Stone-faced and alert, he blinked twice as though confronted by my gaze.

“My… my home,” I began, and suddenly a million things bubbled up. “My house, my family, my… life?”

Youngjae nodded. “Of course, but your life is not safe here anymore.”

“Here…” I said quietly, and sighed. “As in… in this town? In this country? In this… w-world?”

Youngjae exchanged a glance with the taller of the quiet-Hunters, with the dark gaze and spiked-up caramel hair, and then he faced me seriously, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. “As Hunters, it’s our job to keep you safe from Demons. Not just you, of course, but whoever is threatened. Our conclusion to the current situation is that the people here, including you, aren’t safe while you’re here. It could only make sense to move you.”

The depth of seriousness in his eyes was unmoving. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been spoken to about something so… well, serious. “So I have to leave to keep people safe?” Jungkook’s hand touched my shoulder, but it didn’t comfort me at all.

“Min Yoongi… I realise how difficult a decision it is, but we’re only three men. If you’ve got as bad a bounty on your head as I’ve been hearing, we can’t keep everyone protected, let alone just you and your brother. Even recruiting the local Wolf packs wouldn’t tip the scales enough. Without Angels, Hell will win.”

I wouldn’t have felt my trembles had Jungkook’s hand not been so steady against my shirt. I composed myself before speaking. “Then we leave.”

Looking grimly satisfied, Youngjae straightened. “We will follow, Yoongi-shi. I have an idea of temporary havens, but we’ll have to do more research on the road.”

“I can’t run forever. How can I fix this?”

“Fix a bounty with Hell? With Lilith? Possibly Lucifer? You’re asking a mighty question.”

“World-walking Demons,” Jimin spoke up, making us glance down at him. “Hoseok said world-walking Demons will know.”

“Right,” Youngjae sighed, seeming exasperated that this topic came up again. “Vampires, was it?” His tone had a sting to it now: much less serious.

“I will follow Hoseok’s plan before anyone else’s,” I added stubbornly.

Youngjae’s gaze fell on me, eyes lidded slightly, brows high and almost judgemental. “Of course, and we’re here to help.” His tone even sounded genuine, despite the thoughts displayed on his face.

Wanting to somehow look deceivingly confident, I straightened as well. “The sooner the better, is it? Jungkook-ah… pack a bag.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take me long to stuff a few practical items into my travel backpack and return to the living room, ready to conduct Jungkook away from his toys and unnecessary belongings. Youngjae stood in my kitchen, scoping out apparently useful items. I’d been told the tallest’s name was Bang Yongguk; he sat motionless on the same couch, his mind far away. The last was Seokjin, who’s soft, mahogany hair and gentle features betrayed the disgruntled twist of his lips and brow. Jimin, in Jungkook’s room, told me that Taehyung was just outside, and that it made Seokjin uncomfortable.

“They know each other?” I questioned.

“They’re…” he began, and snorted quietly at the wiggle of Jungkook’s eyebrows, “rather well acquainted.” His voice was low, clearly attempting to avoid eavesdropping.

“I’m sure I need not know,” I sighed. “Jungkook, please leave your 3DS here.”

A whine: “You’ve got to be kidding me, Hyung.”

“Yoongi,” Jimin suddenly said, turning to face me fully. His serious expression made my brows pinch. “I contacted my pack.”

“What for? Support?”

“Of course. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we met, but they showed me more support and care than I’d hoped for. A new Alpha has recently taken over, and he seemed determined to help. I… I think we might have a few more Wolves on our side if this comes to a fight.”

I hugged him, making Jungkook smile gratefully at me over the Wolf’s shoulder. “Thank you, Jimin.”

“I’d do more if I could.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook and I had rapid rinse-off showers, dressed in simple clothing and shoes, and finally faced the front door with the intention of leaving. Jimin wore some of my clothes, fitting him better than Jungkook’s, and complained three times before we got out of the house at the feeling of shoes and socks on his feet. Youngjae glared at the Demon just once while we waited at the bus stop, making him cower and shut his mouth. I couldn’t stifle my grin entirely—maybe the Hunters were a lot better news than I thought.

Travelling in this indiscreet group was no less than awkward. The Hunters looked every bit like the Assassins they were trained to be, and even on a weekend afternoon, there were enough people around for their ogling to get to me. The casual shirt and jeans of my brother, Wolf, and I was the opposite of their black leather suits, and I hoped their concealed weapons wouldn’t have to be uncovered any time soon.

In an almost-silent diner where we stopped to eat at sundown, Youngjae slid into the seat beside me, cutting off an alarmed Jungkook. A laptop whipped out of his bag, and I edged as close to the window as possible, startled by his closeness. I figured almost right away that he didn’t want this conversation to be overheard.

“We’re here, yes?” he half-whispered, pointing at an interactive map on his screen. His finger rested just above the dim characters reading ‘North Carolina,’ and I nodded, my throat suddenly feeling thick with the thought of leaving. “Our target resides in Pennsylvania, meaning a rather long journey north. Do you know the best way for us to move quickly interstate?”

“We could catch public transport as far as Raleigh, but beyond that… I’ve never been any further.”

“Hyung, trains and buses are easy,” Jungkook began, “we could get all the way to Virginia and even Pennsylvania with no worries at all.”

“Please keep your voice down,” Youngjae almost hissed, and my brother tightened his lips and sat down across from me. Jimin protectively slid in beside, making sure to keep Seokjin a whole seat away. It shouldn’t have bothered me to be sitting so close to the Hunter, but it made the hairs on my arms stand up. The babbling of Jungkook about what food to order calmed me a little, and it seemed to relax Youngjae as well. He bent his head closer to the screen, incidentally closer to me, and spoke again.

“Public transport is good cover, since Demons are less likely to attack in daylight and cities. We’ve got accommodation covered, and we’ll make sure to have two of us awake at all times. The only thing I’m worried about, Yoongi-shi, is when we get there.” I hoped my expression didn’t give away how worried I was as well.

Vampires. I’d heard enough to know I didn’t want to meet one… again. My first Demon encounter, besides the fluffy Wolf pup I reluctantly adopted, was one I didn’t want to relive. Youngjae noticed my pose change, and leant back to give me a little space.

“Whatever your plan is, we’ll need to formulate it a little more carefully before we go charging in. Even a coven of Vampires will be a challenge for my team.”

“I don’t…” I breathed in and out, wondering how to say what I meant. “I don’t want to kill them or anything… Do you think we can just talk?”

“I’ve had enough experience to know that they will be willing to talk, to begin with. They’ll no doubt all surface, like a pack of Wolves—for a lack of a better description—and try to intimidate us. Their leader will speak, mostly just mocking and jeering to instate his dominance, and once he has decided we’re not worth any more time, then he’ll order an attack.”

Jimin was listening then, as well as the other Hunters, even if they pretended not to. I could see the way the Wolf only half replied to Jungkook’s mumbling about what looked amazing on the menu, and how much he thought he could eat. The highly-distracted Yongguk browsed something on his phone, face resting on his propped-up palm, but I could see the tension in his pose as he kept himself alert. Seokjin didn’t try hard to disguise it, and let his eyes wander to Youngjae’s computer more than once while he browsed the menu as well.

“You think there’s no way of getting out of a fight?” I asked, also whispering.

“It would be a miracle.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke with a start sometime in the night, feeling heavy with exhaustion and weighed down with worry. Alertness came quickly as hushed voices reached my ears, and blinking, I made out dark figures clearly moving in the room. One form suddenly rushed to the bed, feet hardly making a sound, and I sat up abruptly.

“Hyung,” came a voice I scarcely recognised as belonging to Yooncheol.

“Good god,” I croaked, squinting to see better. “What are you doing here?”

“Jongup Hyung explained everything. We came to help.”

Dread set deep in my stomach. “Yooncheol-ah… what we’re doing isn’t safe. How did you get out of… well, how did you get away from your family?”

“My family? There’s only my Hyung… didn’t you know? We’re orphans.”

I didn’t think I knew that. Blinking some more and rubbing my eyes, I wondered if I should express my condolences, but the way he said it wasn’t sad, only honest. “Oh,” I said simply, and glanced up again to see him just a little better in the darkness.

“I just said I was staying with Jungkook. We won’t be long, right?”

I gulped. “I don’t know, Yooncheol. We might be. I don’t think it’s safe for you to come along.”

“Jongup Hyung,” he began, tracing a small pattern on my plain bed sheet with his eyes downcast. “He said you needed him, and he had no choice but to bring me along.”

The dread became worse, almost a sick feeling, and my stomach churned with it. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the cheerful kid chirped. “It’s way better than going to school.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jongup and Youngjae conversed in hushed tones, keeping Jungkook happily sleeping in the double bed beside mine. Jimin had woken and was absently stroking caresses through my brother’s hair while he listened in. Neither Seokjin nor Yongguk were anywhere to be seen, but what they did at night wasn’t of concern to me. Hopefully they were outside somewhere, well equipped to keep us safe if anything were to decide to attack.

Yooncheol dozed off at some point, sleeping horizontally on my bed, and I didn’t mind staying up for a while. The Angel greeted me warmly when there was a break in his discussion, but otherwise continued talking about what seemed to be our plan for the next day. We’d be in Pennsylvania in just another hour of travel, and hopefully Youngjae could direct us to the coven. Unfortunately, he told us, we’d have to go most of the way on foot.

I sat outside in the cool breeze, the balcony overlooking the few dim lights of Baltimore, MD. I’d never been this far from home before, even if it was only a day’s trip. The journey from home to where the Vampires resided was, Youngjae said, about five hundred miles, and South Korea was only about two-hundred miles in total from the very North to the East China Sea. I felt so very, very far from home.

Somehow, not too long later, I found myself fast asleep again anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke again in the morning, this time more peacefully. Warmth radiated from the teenager beside me, and I tried not to let it bother me that I shared a bed with my brother’s friend. Upon stumbling half-blindly to the bathroom, I found it empty, and I took a leisurely shower to wake up.

Back in the main room, after dressing, I found it was a hive of quiet productivity. Jungkook and Jimin ate silently, and the Hunters all had something to do on their own. Yongguk gently oiled a nasty, curved blade, Seokjin re-laced his solid, leather boots, and Youngjae chewed his nails while staring intently at a bright laptop screen covered in text. Yooncheol was awake by then, too, and he sat awkwardly on Jungkook’s bed, observing while Jongup massaged his bonded’s outstretched calf.

“I-it’s just growing pain, Hyung,” the boy argued and his uncomfortable expression showed just how he felt about the intimate touch of his Angel.

“Massaging is good for cramping,” Jongup countered, and the boy just huffed obligingly.

I almost asked why he didn’t just use some of his ‘healing’ power, but decided against it. I didn’t need to see Yooncheol experience that. It brought colour to my cheeks just remembering the feeling. It then brought a wave of terrible grief, which buffeted me with the urge to be sick.

And sick I was. Had it been in the bathroom, I’d have been much less embarrassed. Jimin was at my side first, holding my arms so I didn’t fall forward and then pulling tissues from who-knows-where to wipe my face. I felt utterly useless, sagging weakly into the Werewolf’s arms, but I let myself be helped. Concerned voices filled my ears, but I closed my eyes and gave up trying to listen. The sickness didn’t leave with my emptied stomach (emptied of entirely bile, which made it that much worse), and I knew right away that it was simply stress and fear that had made me throw up.

I didn’t even pass out, which I hoped I’d do, but laid motionless on my bed, nauseated and annoyed with the fussing over me. I drank a little water and noticed the floor being cleaned, but didn’t care about anything else while I was so suffocated with worry. Jungkook—at least I think it was Jungkook—stroked my face for a while, talking to me even though I didn’t respond. At least nobody said his name, so I settled down after some time.

When I sat up again, every face in the room turned towards me. Concern painted their features, most evidently Jungkook’s, Jimin’s, Yooncheol’s, and Jongup’s. The Hunters looked disquieted, but also probably frustrated that I’d set our journey back. With that thought, I rose with the intention to leave immediately.

On the road, Jungkook forced me to eat something he’d bought on our way out of the hotel. I was thankful for it as soon as I complied, and made sure to hug him tight in thanks. We travelled until lunch time, where we stopped in Williamsport for a meal. Youngjae and Yongguk left us then, and continued on (in a jeep I hadn’t seen them buy or hire… or steal). The town itself was something I altogether hadn’t expected. Garden View, this area was called, but it wasn’t exactly as picturesque as its name. People were withdrawn and self-absorbed, and made sure not to look you in the eyes. Stores sold bare minimums, and the take-out we ate was fresh and clean but somehow lacking. Maybe it was the meat, but something didn’t seem satisfying. I felt… odd.

Seokjin sat with us, staring, as usual, at his phone, his meal finished in record time. Jungkook seemed highly-strung when he sat too close to that particular Hunter, and always made sure his Wolf was between the two. It made me feel better, as well. Yooncheol was as absently cheerful as ever, chatting to Jongup who absorbed every word like a sponge, constantly thirsty for more. The love on Jongup’s side was completely familiar, and I didn’t want to let it make me inappropriately jealous. Hoseok loves me, I told myself; this is just a temporary setback.

The sun was really beating down a little after 1PM, but I was still a little cold. Not even the hottest time of day was warm in December. The car that pulled up in the parking lot brought with it a wave of heat, and I almost enjoyed it, until I turned to see the Hunters approaching with equally dark expressions. Suddenly, I was chilled right to the bone.

Seokjin stood to approach his partners, and after short mumbles to each other, Youngjae beckoned us into the vehicle. With a little squishing and two Hunters and an Angel hanging dangerously off the back, the orange-and-brown jeep set off down the highway to the north.

While Jungkook snuggled beside his Wolf for warmth, I pulled my coat around me and hoped for the best. The forest closed in quickly on the drive, and I realised right away that this was ideal wilderness to hide a coven of Demons. Pine trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, reminding me of the forest back home. Thinking about home made my stomach turn, and I quickly distracted myself.

It didn’t take long for us to reach a break in the road where we could pull over and ease the rough-terrain vehicle into the forest. The path wasn’t clear, but the car didn’t mind. Crushing our fair share of logs along the way, we made it far enough to save us time and walking. Once Youngjae leapt out of the driver seat, we all began piling out, and I grimaced at the thick forest ahead that I knew I was about to encroach.

“The children stay,” announced a voice I didn’t recognise, and I looked up until I realised it had been Yongguk. He met eyes with Youngjae first, and then me.

“No way!” Jungkook shot, but I faced him and squared my shoulders.

“Do as he says, Kookie-yah. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“Then Jimin stays!” he fired back, his neck red with frustration.

“Of course,” I nodded, “how else would I trust to keep you here?”

“Damn,” the Wolf in question sighed, but turned obligingly to take Jungkook back into the vehicle.

It was Jongup who spoke next, gently touching Yooncheol’s shoulder. “I mean no offence to the Werewolf when I say I don’t feel safe leaving Yooncheol here.”

Jimin shrugged. “None taken, pal.”

“Is he safer in Jimin’s protection near humanity, or right under the noses of a coven of Vampires?” Youngjae countered, and Jongup squared his shoulders in defence. I’d seen that expression before. The Angel took it to heart that someone suggested he couldn’t protect his charge. Hoseok made exactly that face.

“He’ll come with me,” Jongup stated firmly, not noticing that Yooncheol’s wide eyes were on the Angel’s fist where it constricted around the boy’s bicep. It must have caused a little pain, because the Angel suddenly let go, as though feeling it for himself. I wished for a moment that I couldn’t relate everything back to Hoseok.

“Suit yourself,” Yongguk huffed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took an hour to finally feel the burn in my muscles that I’d expected almost immediately when we began our treacherous descent into the forest. Yooncheol had complained a few times already, but I finally began to feel like complaining myself. The boy, however, had been lifted to sit piggyback on his Angel, so it was no surprise that his whingeing had ceased. I didn’t feel like I could complain if I was the only one.

“Wolves,” Youngjae suddenly said, a hand on his weapon at his right hip, but Yongguk beckoned for him to wait.

“Junhong,” the tallest suddenly said, at the exact same time as Seokjin said “Taehyung,” though the latter with marginally less relief.

“Fantastic,” Youngjae said, and I felt my brows pinch with confusion. What was Taehyung doing here?

Just as it became silent again, two massive Wolves emerged from the forest to the West. One padded slowly to a stop in the underbrush—Taehyung: I knew from his coat and golden eyes. The other bolted at top Wolf speed right up to us, and (after I shied babyishly) it suddenly lunged full-force at Yongguk. I would have been alarmed, scared even, if it hadn’t suddenly morphed into a boy and koala-ed itself around the Hunter. Snowy-white hair and long, slim, pale limbs; I knew the Wolf right away.

I looked away from the reunion with envy ready to burn under my cheeks, but noticed more Wolves approaching Taehyung then. It looked like a pack, divided down the middle by the obvious separation of black or white fur. The largest was at the front, as glossy reddish-black with the same golden eyes, and one only slightly smaller stalked quickly beside—a pale sandy coat and ocean-blue eyes flashing in the glimpses of afternoon sun.

Taehyung stood out, being the only ruddy-red coat. He came closer than the rest, standing maybe ten metres away with his head and tail low. Seokjin watched the Demon cautiously, and I ran Jimin’s words over in my mind again. ‘They’re… rather well acquainted.’ I wondered how well, considering the cold way in which the Hunter regarded him.

“They’re here for backup,” Yongguk suddenly said over his own shoulder, standing with his arms around the Sub-boy (now on the ground) and covering his bare body with his own. The look on his face was a hundred times brighter than I’d ever seen. “Even Shin Jiho’s pack.”

“Great, distractions,” Youngjae grumbled. “You realise they would have smelt you by now?”

“They could be of some help, Youngjae,” Seokjin mumbled, seeming annoyed by his own logic.

I hoped we wouldn’t need them.

~~~~~~~~


	29. All Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yongguk  
> (This is purely for the entertainment of those who want to know about Bang and Jello and is based quite a few chapters ago. There is no important plot, just development of Banglo. I had a little crisis thinking about who’s POV to write in, and decided on Bang, just because Jikook, Hogi (sometimes) and Jintae are all written from the ‘bottom’s POV heheh.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scouting for supernatural tricks-slash-sources-of-information had been a lot more intriguing before. Before I was assigned to this huge, interstate case; before I followed Seokjin to that fancy-ass bar; before I met and fell horribly infatuated with an underage, native wolf; I enjoyed sleeping around with danger. Now, it was positively forced, but things began to get better. A couple of months after meeting the teen, I had finally learnt to push him to the back of my mind and get on with things. Until, that is, another mischievous wolf brought it all crashing back down.

“He really likes you,” the little shit told me, which is the last thing I needed to hear while pretending not to grieve over the angel-blonde Werewolf. It had taken so much of a toll on my self-control that the other Hunters gave me a night off to recuperate. They didn’t quite get why I was so drained, snappy, and uncooperative, but when I didn’t explain after being pushed to the point of having a slightly-embarrassing tantrum, they got the message that I wasn’t going to explain at all. I spent the full moon distracting myself from the fact that it was the full moon.

Back on the job, I felt like I could find my swing again, for the first few hours. There wasn’t a definite Demon presence when we arrived, but when I finally detected a wolf—that wolf—I realised it had been better that way. Youngjae noticed me stiffen and choke on my drink.

“Did you just inhale your beer?” he mocked, chuckling before taking another sip of his much-less-manly drink.

“I’ll be right back,” I managed to cough. The wolf—and his trouble-making friend—weren’t at all difficult to locate. In a building full of humans, their auras shone like bright, colourful beacons. By the time I found them, I had managed to work myself up until my hands were clammy, my chest was tight, and I felt the need to check if my hair-gel was still neatly holding my fringe up.

I stopped mid-stair-ascension when I saw him; he looked as tense as I felt. I knew he’d be able to detect me, and those wide, dark eyes were darting around in the low, party light like he knew I was close. His orange-haired friend stood close by, constantly peering over the balcony railing against which he leant. My mind didn’t linger on him for long—not with the opportunity to finally talk to that adorable, nervous little wolf again. His fluffy hair—given a blue tint from the light under which he stood—swung into his eyes for a second, and he gingerly wiped it away with long, slender fingers. I swallowed thickly and climbed the last few steps towards him.

I rounded a small table where a flirting pair of well-dressed party-goers had chosen to rest their feet. Junhong seemed to suddenly notice me, though his gaze was pointed away. His chin tipped up just a touch while his shoulders rose and his chest swelled. My jaw clenched at the thought that he could smell me. I found his bright, round eyes with mine, and a foolish smile crept across my lips. It didn’t seem so foolish when he smiled back.

A few more steps and we were close enough to touch. He looked as flawless and cute as I remembered, even though I’d told myself my imagination had been exaggerating. Gosh, he was tall, but that didn’t stop him from bringing his lips right to my ear to speak. I trembled.

“Did you come here looking for me?” he asked, his voice just loud enough to hear over the music. He smelt like the woods: so intoxicatingly wild and familiar. I turned my face towards his neck, and almost lost the urge to reply. I wanted, instead, to drag my lips up the length of that milky skin, and listen to his nervous, husky sounds of appreciation.

Since I had literally just approached him for the first time in months, I refrained. “What if I said ‘yes?’” My lips brushed his ear. He responded by turning his head just a little towards me, and his breath on my neck was like an unsubtle attempt at flirting.

“I wanted to see you again since then, but…”

It was highly endearing—the way he struggled to find the right words. I reached up and touched the hair at his nape, moving so gently that I surprised even myself. He was just so cute, and so damn innocent-looking that I couldn’t help but treat him delicately.

“Let me take you somewhere, so that we can talk,” I offered, and I leant back to look into his eyes. I wondered what his Sub eyes would look like: if they’d be red, blue, green, or golden. His human eyes searched mine for a second before he nodded, his lips making a small, absent ‘O.’ I smiled and softly took his hand. After a few words of hurried farewell to his friend, Junhong was striding eagerly behind me and returning the tight grip I used to lead him through the crowd.

It was getting chilly at night, and Junhong exclaimed at the temperature as soon as we were on the side-walk. My ears were still ringing a little from the loud, bass-heavy music inside, but I figured his were as well by the way he was shouting.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked, or more hollered.

“To Starbucks,” he began, and he lifted our intertwined fingers to his lips to breathe hot breath over them. Somehow, that was more magical when he did it for me. “And then somewhere we can be alone.” My brows rose as I looked at him, and he smiled gorgeously, all bright teeth and crescent eyes.

I bought him a large hot beverage and lost the ability to control my smile while I watched him drink it. His long fingers wrapped around the take-away cup to keep warm while we walked through the streets towards my apartment, and his lips puckered when he went to take a tiny sip. The highlight was the content ‘ahh’ he breathed after every hot sip, and a cloud of vapour would rise from his mouth and swirl upwards away from us. With a bittersweet sigh, I realised just how much I adored him and every single little thing he did.

Junhong was quiet while we climbed the stairs to my fifth-story loft, just a few blocks from Starbucks. He was still quietly drinking, but his sips were more like gulps now that his hot-chocolate had cooled. I locked my front door behind us and turned to watch him walk slowly into the room. I didn’t want to believe it, but he looked even taller than when I saw him last. Somehow no less graceful in the powerful way he moved—like a cat, always ready to pounce—he still managed to look like a carefree, youthful teen in the way he looked around with giant, mocha eyes.

I couldn’t help myself when my eyes glided down to his round butt, framed gorgeously in tight jeans. Long thighs stretched out below; they seemed to go on for miles.

He spun to face me as though he had something to say, but he stopped when he realised I’d been staring. I had dragged my eyes to his the moment I noticed him staring, but he’d caught me, and now I was feigning innocence despite absolutely no chance of redemption. Junhong’s brows rose and then creased in a half-amused, half suspicious way, and he sauntered slowly over to me. I tingled more with every step.

“Bang Yongguk,” he said, and stopped so close to me that I felt a physical need to wrap my arms around him. “My friend says he talked to you.”

“The wolf with orange hair? He did,” I said, clenching my hands into fists to keep them by my sides.

“What did he say?”

I couldn’t refuse the chance to see him blush, and seized it with both hands. “He said you really like me,” I began, and watched as his expression changed to the embarrassment I expected. “And he said… you were upset that I was ‘just using you.’”

A slight redness was creeping across his cheeks, but his face fell slightly when I said the last part. He didn’t seem to want that expression to show, and raised his chin and dropped his gaze from mine.

“Junhong-ah,” I began again, but he didn’t look up. I touched his chin, and then he looked at me. “It wasn’t meant to mean anything, and I never wanted to hurt you, but I hated the idea of you just ‘getting over’ me, as that wolf put it. I didn’t plan for it to go this way, but… It did mean something to me.”

Junhong’s sweet face, slightly pink at his cheekbones, reflected the hopefulness I felt, and I couldn’t help myself from wrapping my arms around his waist then. His hands rose in surprise, and his fingers spread out across my chest.

“I adore you,” I told him in my gentlest voice. “As ironically ridiculous as that is.”

“I-I’ll imprint on you,” he stuttered, as though he thought he needed to warn me.

I smiled and tipped my head up to touch my nose to his. His breath shuddered. “Then you’ll be all mine.”

~

It was late, and Junhong looked tired. With a belly full of milk, and inside the warmth of my centrally-heated loft, his eyelids quickly got droopy. He let me lead him to my couch where we could talk while snuggled under a blanket, our feet touching as we lounged against opposite arms. That only caused his sleepiness to progress until he was yawning at least twice a minute.

“Junhong-ah, will you stay with me tonight?”

He seemed to consider the question for a moment, and his lidded eyes lingered on a spot on the blanket. “I’ll stay with you forever, if you let me.”

My answer took a few moments to formulate. His declaration seemed rash, but I couldn’t agree more. Looking fondly in his eyes, I whispered: “I would really like that.” He smiled widely, all white teeth and crescent eyes. “How about we get you to bed?” I said after a moment, and he shook his head.

“Why? I want to keep talking like this…”

“So you don’t fall asleep uncomfortable. We can talk in bed.”

Junhong’s smile was so infectious, and I smiled hard while holding his hand and climbing the stairs to the mezzanine.

“Make yourself comfortable,” I said quietly as I let go of his hand. “I’m going to wash up quickly.”

Junhong just nodded, his ever-present smile lighting up the entire room.

In the bathroom, I took one look at my goofy smile in the mirror and grimaced at myself. “Get a hold of yourself, Yongguk,” I grumbled, but I was literally on cloud nine. I took just a few minutes freshening up, and then rushed back to my bed. Junhong looked like he was still settling down when I laid eyes on him.

“Do you want anything or… anything?” I asked as I approached the side of the bed. The teen just shook his head and smiled wider.

“Nothing except you,” he mumbled with his head in one of my pillows, and a giddy expression took over his cute features. I chuckled at his cheesiness.

“Fortunately,” I said as I lifted the covers and crawled under them. Junhong was so close when I settled down beside him, and his fingers sought mine under the sheets. “You’re welcome to as much of that as you like.”

Junhong just smiled that sunrise of a smile for me, and I couldn’t help but stare.

“Yongguk-ah…” Junhong said in his gentlest voice. “I feel like I should be worried about being with you… but I’m not.”

“Because of the other wolves?” I asked, and when his gaze dropped to my chest, I realised it might be something else. “Or… because I’m a Hunter?”

Wide, brown eyes met mine then, as round as the moon. After a moment, his gaze dropped back to my front. “It’s a combination of both.”

“It’s okay, Junhongie-yah; I understand.” I watched his slow blinks and realised just how close to sleep he really was. Hoping it wasn’t pushing my luck, I edged closer to him and reached around his waist to pull him close. He snuggled endearingly into my chest, and I closed my eyes, happiness encompassing every part of me until I fell into a warm, blissful sleep.

~

Always the heavy sleeper, I wasn’t at all surprised to wake up after noon. Stretching gently alerted me to the warm presence behind me, and I smiled widely, which suddenly turned into a deep yawn. Somehow I had ended up the little spoon, but Junhong was taller than me, so it sort of worked. I gently shuffled to face him in his arms, and my heart swelled at the sight of his sleeping face.

Thick, snowy hair sprawled out on the pillow; flawless, pale skin glowing with health; broad chest rising and falling with deep breaths under his cotton t-shirt; Junhong was positively angelic, even in his sleep. I shifted closer to him and touched my nose to his. He twitched and I chuckled. So cute.

“Aaaaagghhkkkkkmmmfff.”

I stared for a few moments, surprise taking over me immediately before complete and utter adoration for whatever kind of sleep-talking that was supposed to be. My chest shook with silent laughter. His mouth opened and closed a few times, his lips smacking with wet sounds, and I just couldn’t take it anymore—he was so damn cute.

Gently cupping his cheek, I brought my lips to his and gave them a soft kiss. His breath washed over my face, still peaceful as ever, and thankfully he was still asleep. With a loving smile, I wriggled out of his embrace to use the bathroom.

I regretted leaving his warmth as soon as the cold hit me, but, as they say, nature calls. After a short, hot shower, I crept back up to the mezzanine to check he was still asleep.

He was not. On the contrary, his pale face was glowing pink across his cheekbones, and he was lying on his back with his knees up under the covers. With one foot on the top step, I stopped, but he noticed me just as I did.

“Y-Yongguk,” he panted, and suddenly sat up a little, brushing his bangs back off his head. The moment our eyes met, I was sure I saw a flash of brightness in his irises, but it could have been the way the light hit them. They definitely appeared their usual chocolaty brown by the time I spoke.

“Are you okay?” I asked, climbing the last step in a leap of concern.

“Ahh… Great, except for my little… morning… situation…”

I felt my eyes widen, but his embarrassment made me grin. “You wolves and your morning wood,” I teased, clicking my tongue.

“You don’t know the half of it,” he groaned. “Waking up Lupe is a blessing—he’s never horny.”

“Just human-Junhongie?” I asked, slowly making my way towards the bed.

“Yeah,” he replied, and his eyes climbed suspiciously up my body as I got closer. “Y-Yongguk, you don’t have t-to…”

“What?” I eyed him, hiding a smirk, and his lips twitched, but he didn’t reply. “I’m not going to do anything I don’t want to do,” I said, the smirk beginning to spread across my face. Junhong held my gaze, his chest heaving with deep breaths as I sat myself astride his thighs. His pink cheeks suddenly blazed, and his cute brown eyes scrunched shut.

“B-but I don’t want you to do it just because-”

“Junhong.”

He was silent then, and I figured my tone was taken seriously.

“I would want to do this even if you hadn’t woken up hard.”

Junhong smiled a little, and sweat began to glimmer at his hairline. “At least you’re honest.”

I shifted forwards until I knew I was sitting right against his junk, and right on cue, he yelped. That sound was much too animal to come from anything but a werewolf. “Does that mean your half-hearted refusals were dishonest?” I teased.

“Mmmffhh,” he groaned, accompanied by a nod. “I’ve been thinking ab-bout you since we first met,” he confessed, and his eyes glittered sweetly while they wandered almost nervously. “And, to be completely honest, about how much I missed th…this…” To punctuate, he pulled his arm out from under the covers and curled his fingers around my nape. I bent down immediately, slightly taken aback by his forwardness, but nonetheless thrilled the moment our lips touched. Given a convincing green light, I was no longer even slightly hesitant. I got myself under the covers in record time, laying myself against his warmth while we kissed slowly.

With great subtlety and shyness, Junhong made sure I remembered why I was there in the first place. I smiled slightly into the kiss as I reached into his jeans, which I hadn’t realised he’d slept in until just then. Being the generous, thoughtful man I am, I ridded him of the tight denim in the warm confines of my covers. He whined in a high, puppy-like tone. His hips lifted to meet my strokes.

Just like the first time, I lost myself in his youthful beauty. A lustful glow shone from his eyes, only slightly dampened by the innocent, adoring gaze he pinned me with. His pink lips were glossy and parted, allowing hot breaths to brush my skin. Surely not every wolf was this delectable to look at—surely I had just gotten supremely lucky to meet him and have his affection.

“Believe me,” I whispered, paying the utmost attention to his body. “I missed you more.”

Junhong just smiled, and I couldn’t help but succumb to the addictiveness of such a face. His hips rolled expertly into my hand while I kissed him. After a few moments, trembling fingers halted my attentive action.

“Yongguk,” Junhong breathed, and his eyes dropped nervously from mine. “I-I want you.” A full second passed before that really sank in.

I almost said ‘really?’ or ‘are you sure?’, but realised a moment later how unnecessary it was, because I could see in his eyes that he was completely honest. I slowly slid my hand up his smooth tummy, pushing his t-shirt up to his neck before I bent to kiss the smooth, pale skin of his chest.

Holding back a moan at the way he hastily ridded me of my clothing, I whispered: “God, I want you too…”

It was almost too hot to stay under the covers; Junhong’s lithe frame sent spikes of fire from my chest to every part of me. I was sweating heavier than him just from his fingers in my hair and his hot thighs tensing against mine. I was floating on a cloud of delight and entirely unprepared to feel Junhong’s plump lips sucking at my right palm. I moaned, so deep and needy that my cheeks blazed with embarrassment. His eyes drifted shut while he held my wrist in both hands, just kissing so lewdly that my entire body tingled with electricity.

“Far out,” I sighed, surprised by the discovery of an unexpected erogenous zone. Junhong’s kisses moved to my fingers, and that tongue felt too talented wrapped around the three digits in his mouth. I panted just watching him, feeling my stomach violently knotting.

“Yongguk-ah, quickly, p-please,” Junhong gasped, suddenly dragging my hand down between his legs. My eyes widened for a moment, but his desperate plea dragged me into the present. He felt so good. Christ. Barely a minute passed before he was clenching around my fingers so sporadically that I didn’t think he’d last much longer. His hands clenched around my biceps while I eased my length inside him; his whines drove me insane.

I had become so hot and excited just looking at him that I didn’t need him to last a whole lot longer. I rocked lightly, and he met my movements with twice the enthusiasm. Holding myself up with my hands beside his head and his knees hooked around my elbows, I pressed my body down over him and kissed his lips with as much control as I could muster. With his hands once again in my hair, I forgot about everything but the feel of him against me and our common goal of reaching that familiar, blissful ecstasy.

I attached my lips to his neck for a distraction, but it caused a shudder through him that made his ass tighten on me, and with a final shout, I finished hard. Grinding messily through my orgasm, I moved my lips to his nipple. I’d been finished for a few breathless moments of slow hip-rolling when Junhong finally exploded between our bellies. A high, raspy sound left my lips, not that it could be heard over his wanton mewling.

A lot happened while I refused to let his lips leave mine. We panted heavily; I pulled out, lowered his legs, and sat gingerly astride his hips; his hands slid down my neck and wrapped loosely around my shoulders; we relaxed until our heartbeats were back to normal.

Only the buzzing of my phone drew me out from under the covers; I didn’t want to check it, but it was usually important. A message lit up the screen:

Youngjae: You don’t usually keep them until morning :P

I wrinkled my nose—how did he know? Lashing out angrily with the one sense I knew I could use to detect him, I discovered that Jae had come for a visit but not yet arrived at my door. I grimaced down at the phone screen, but Junhong’s voice erased the expression entirely.

“What is it?”

My lips curved into a small smile and I shook my head. “Nothing important… but I think my friend is here.”

“Your friend?” Junhong’s head cocked cutely to the side. “Another hunter is nearby… is that him?”

I nodded lightly, remembering just then that his ‘sixth sense’ was no doubt a lot stronger than mine. “I don’t know why yet.”

“Should I leave?” he asked cutely, concern creasing his tired brows.

I shook my head and crawled back across the bed to kiss the frown-lines away. He smiled shyly. “You don’t ever have to leave, Junhong-ah. Stay or go as you please.”

“I don’t want to go ever, but I guess I’ll have to go back to the pack soon… I’ve never been out all night before.”

I felt a little concerned since he was still an immature wolf. “Will someone look for you?”

“Eventually, but Taehyung might cover for me this time… I just wish I didn’t have to go back.”

I snuggled my bare body under the covers again, nestling against his warmth. “Is life unsatisfactory there?”

“No,” he clarified, “not at all, except that… I don’t have you when I’m there.”

He knew just how to tug at my heartstrings. I sighed and kissed his marshmallow cheek. “I have no idea how this will work just yet, but I… I want it to. I promise I’ll try my best to make it work.”

Junhong’s chocolate orbs suddenly disappeared behind a crescent-eyed smile. “Thank you,” he mumbled, brushing his lips across mine for a moment. We both jumped in shock when the doorbell rang throughout the loft.

“You can stay here or come meet him,” I said quietly, aware of how freakishly talented and smart Jae was. “Either way, I have to go see what he wants.”

Hesitantly, I rolled out of bed, half-dressed—the important half—and then meandered down the stairs to get the door.

“Geez, you didn’t even send him home after I caught you red-handed,” Jae began the moment the door opened. “And you’re still screwing him in the morning?”

“I’ll let you in if you stop talking about him like he’s not in easy hearing-range.”

Youngjae smiled slyly. His eyes flicked up to the mezzanine, but the expression melted from his face at whatever he saw. Glancing back in the direction of my second-floor bedroom, I noticed Junhong hiding behind the wooden railing, crouched with his hands between his knees, still completely nude. I grinned and turned back to Jae.

“Junhong, this is Youngjae,” I called, and my comrade blushed heavily.

“Okay, okay; I’m here to talk to you about my findings, not meet your latest conquest.” He began to push past me into my loft, but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Let me set one thing straight first,” I began, and I dropped my tone to a threatening whisper, even if I knew there was no point trying to hide it from Junhong. “I really care about him, and right now, he’s a lot more welcome here than you are. You’ll call him by his name, Youngjae.”

The shorter Hunter nodded, not intimidated but seeming to respect my conditions of entry. I lifted my hand from his shoulder and let him enter. I glanced back up at Junhong as I pulled the door closed. His brows rose, and I sent him a small, reassuring smile, despite how concerned I was about his comfort while a strange Hunter was so close to him.

Sighing heavily, I thought: this is bound to be interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	30. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Daehyun  
> (another off-topic ship chapter)  
> ((is Daehyun my favourite character in this fic? Yes.))  
> (((World-walking Demons or Spirits are those that are capable of traveling between Earth and Spirit realms, as well as Heaven and Hell (depending on whether they’re Demons or not.) This includes immortal humans!)))  
> ((((I just realised my Italics aren't copying across aaaaaaaaaaa))))

~

Taehyung had better have a good reason for calling me away from the pack, I thought as I sprinted towards the sound of his howls. Frost from the grass clung to the fur around my paws; it was a bitterly cold morning—totally overcast with thick, grey clouds. 

I finally spotted the rusty Lupe among the trees, right at the outskirts of the forest, and my hackles rose at the sudden scent I caught on the breeze. Vampires. 

Taehyung shifted into Lycan form right in front of me, and I didn’t hesitate to do the same. But Vampires? In daytime? Were the clouds that impenetrable?

I couldn’t help but worry about being seen by unmarked humans as we dashed on all fours into the outskirts of a housing estate. I worried more, though, about what could have caused Vampires to come so far from their territory, in the daytime, and why Taehyung thought he needed me to help fend them off.

The bloodsuckers’ stench wasn’t the only thing I could detect by the time the first houses came into view. Casting out, I could feel other Demons nearby: aggressive, violent, determined Demons. 

Flying, I added as I noticed a shadow pass over us, and I roared at Taehyung to watch out. The battle began then. Incubi and Succubi flocked us in the dozens. In Lycan form, there was very little that worried me, and Taehyung and I fought together until my confidence was utterly justified. The few lingering Demons fled, distraught from the sight of their fallen kin and clearly unwilling to suffer the same fate.

Taehyung shifted suddenly, and I managed to control myself enough to do the same, just as he began shouting at me. “We need to defend the house! Jimin and Hoseok are caught up outside! The Demons are here for that human!”

“Why am I defending a human?” I snapped, riled and confused. 

“If the Vampires want him, Daehyun, we clearly don’t want them to have him.”

No matter what this human had to do with the attacks, I was already in the thick of it, and not at all averted to ripping apart some Vampires. I followed suit as the orange-haired boy shifted back to Lycan and approached the human’s house. 

The stench buffeted me before I even saw the first one. His glittering, crimson eyes widened, just before I tore his head from his shoulders. The element of surprise would always be an advantage. 

A few bodies later, I remembered just how difficult it could be to control this form. Thinking felt like a chore; the urge to kill consumed me. Taehyung took a few nasty hits from an older female vamp before I could gather the self-control to help him. 

I wasn’t keeping count, but the bodies began to pile up, transforming the human’s backyard into a gruesome, supernatural graveyard. 

After dropping yet another dismembered corpse to the ground, a purple-haired demi-demon appeared in my path. He shied for a moment, bright violet eyes shining, and suddenly cowered towards Taehyung. My Lycan didn’t see reason not to kill it, but a howl dragged my attention away. 

Taehyung jumped to attention as well, and suddenly loped around the house towards the sound. Teeth bared and patience worn out, I followed him. 

A black-as-night Lycan stood among his own pile of demon bodies—leeches and sexual demons alike. One of Shin Jiho’s dogs—Taehyung’s friend Jimin—met Taehyung’s approach with a hurried head-bump, and then shifted to Lupe before leaping through a window in to the human’s house. There seemed to be no immediate threat outside, and I shifted to Anthrokos to get a more informed, controlled look around. Panting, pumped with adrenaline, and covered in blood, I surveyed the human’s fenced yard for a few moments. Taehyung stood nearby, his arms crossed as though he was nervous. 

“Are we done here, then?” I grumbled at him. “Now that every mortal in the area has probably seen or heard something they shouldn’t have.”

“It’s not over, Hyung,” Taehyung whimpered. He hugged himself tighter for a second. “This was just the first wave… A… a distraction.”

“What… How do you know that?” But just as I said it, I felt them. Vampires, older Vampires with years of training, centuries of experience, sweeping through the forest: a wave of impending death. 

To anybody but us, I humbly thought, but it didn’t reassure me entirely. What if there were hundreds of them?

“I’ll signal the pack,” I barked, heading towards the back fence already. 

“Jiho’s pack is here already,” Taehyung shouted. “So warn them!”

My eye twitched with a moment of frustration—why did a coven of Vampires and a pack of Werewolves have to each be run by a guy with the same name?

I could touch Shin Jiho’s pack’s unique souls when I tried, as well as those of the Vampires, and one other group of beings. Mortal… Mostly. Just before I shifted into Lupe, an excited, disbelieving spark shot up my spine. 

“Hunters,” I whispered, and then shouted it: “Taehyung, Hunters!”

I shifted before he replied, and leapt effortlessly over the human’s back fence and out of the house yard. Taehyung followed, a rusty-red and grey fur-ball in my peripheral vision. 

Vampires resided north-west of here—Woo Jiho’s coven, anyway—and their violent stench led us in exactly that direction. The pack responded to my signal howls immediately, and a few of my better fighters hurried to join us. Taehyung effortlessly kept up with my pace, charging into potential danger as though he had someone important to protect. Before they were even in view, Taehyung’s Lupe form exploded into his Lycan, and a feral snarl ripped from his throat. He overtook me on all fours, and I immediately discovered why. 

Was his name Seokjin? That Hunter he always talked about was cornered by a large group of violent, bloodthirsty Vamps. Even though the Hunter didn’t seem at all threatened or incapacitated, Taehyung tore pieces from the first Demon he reached, and turned his attention on another before the first had even hit the forest floor. I didn’t have time to check if the Hunter—fighting confidently with a blade and handgun—looked surprised. 

More killing, but maybe a little less than before; Taehyung had been right when he said the first wave was just a distraction. Three of my white wolves joined the fight at the right time; these Vamps took a lot more than a few well-aimed swipes of my claws. The Hunters didn’t seem incapacitated by the leeches, however powerful, but even stranger, they mistook us as enemies as well. The fight with the Vamps began to look up just as an ambush of Shin Jiho’s black Lycans showed themselves. I wouldn’t have thought it this easy to team up with a rival pack, but versus Vampires, I would have teamed up with anyone. 

I felt my keen senses hone in on a familiar scent, distracting me for a moment from my current opponent. The Vampire screeched and clawed at my fingers with feeble, human-like fingernails, and hissed as my hand tightened around her neck. Bared fangs threatened, but my attention waned. The Hunter… that Hunter. Even my ferocious Lycan was distracted by his smell. 

The final few bloodsuckers turned mostly on the Hunters, realising that they were out-muscled facing us Wolves. I had hardly a moment to look around for the Hunter before three silver bullets sank into my opponent’s back with three wet clunks, and I hesitated before dropping her body. She was still then, and I glanced up at the gun-wielding human. 

Youngjae. 

Splat, splat. 

Two more bullets, right in my chest. I stared, blue eyes narrowing in frustration for a moment. That really hurt. My arm felt weak and sore, and I needed to shift to Anthrokos to get the bullets out. No healing was gonna happen around silver. 

I sank down onto all fours, glancing around to check I was safe, and relaxed into a much-less offensive form. A sandy-coloured Lycan nudged me, hastily checking if I was all right. I patted his shoulder and shoved him away—he was needed elsewhere.

The battle must have been mostly over. Sounds of fighting dispersed, and a few gargling Demons took their final breaths. I gritted my teeth, canine fangs fitting neatly over human-like incisors, and dug my fingers into the first wound. 

One bullet—not too deep, easy to remove. I cried out at the second one, needing to tear further into muscle before it could be retrieved. The bloody ammunition sat in my shaking palm as I glanced up from the leafy ground. 

Youngjae. 

“You shot me,” I accused, a disbelieving, accusatory tone hiking my voice up a few octaves. 

“J-Jung Daehyun…” he breathed in a tremble, his weapon clutched in both shuddering hands. Round, mocha eyes widened further as I got up. 

“Can’t you see we’re helping?” I grumbled. 

“I wasn’t sure.” He sounded stronger, and lowered one of his hands from the gun. Continuing to point it at me, his eyes carefully followed my approach. It wasn’t difficult to take him off guard. He didn’t seem to expect me to move at such a speed in this form, and I had him pinned to the forest floor before he could even think to shoot again. A frightened yelp left his lips, and I knocked his weapon as far as I could away from us. 

“I’m not going t-to apologise, if that’s what you want,” he spat. Feisty, I thought, reminding me of the first time we met. God, how I had enjoyed that. 

“I’ll make you,” I growled, pinning him still with my weight and my hands around his wrists. Still puffing from exertion, our breaths mingled between us. 

“I didn’t know it was you,” he tried, his voice softer. “It’s not like we can afford to take chances.”

“Without us, you would have been drained dry,” I snapped. The stream of my bleeding wounds began to slow, but not before it had dropped messily all down his leather attire and streaked my bare body crimson. I let his hands go, realising I needed to treat my wounds soon. 

“We were doing fine.” The feel of his hands on my shoulders was tantalisingly familiar, but this time he was pushing me away. I moved to the side, let him stand, and shifted my gaze to the small gathering of black wolves nearby my pack of white. In Lupe form now, it was clear the fight was over. One bloodsucker remained, held easily in the strong, immobilising grip of a tall, well-built Hunter. The Demon was gagged by something, the corners of his mouth leaking with dark, blackish liquid. Youngjae approached the other two Hunters, and my eyes fell on Taehyung. His Lupe was crouched low by Seokjin’s side, and his ears were flat against his head. 

“You were helping,” Seokjin stated loudly, his voice travelling easily through the trees. “Why?”

Even if my reasoning had been fuzzy to begin with, it wasn’t difficult to come up with a statement that was believable and true. “My pack does not tolerate Vampires in our territory, for whatever reason.” 

“Your pack?” the human repeated. “You’re an Alpha?”

“A Beta,” I corrected, squaring my shoulders. 

Seokjin reeled for a moment. Suddenly, he faced that flabbergasted look on Youngjae. “That Beta?” he gasped, pointing at me. Much to my delight, Youngjae’s eyes suddenly blazed with furious embarrassment. Following closely was a tell-tale pink blush. Seokjin let out a loud huff of a laugh. 

“And this pack?” The taller Hunter said in an alarmingly deep voice, his elbow beckoning to the black Wolves gathered a few metres away. He seemed impatient with his colleagues. 

One of the black Lupes shifted—one with a dark crimson tinge to his fur—saving me the explanation. Shin Jiho. His Anthrokos form was the tallest of us all, with an outstanding, masculine posture for a native Wolf, and dark, saffron hair. “One of our pack brothers has a bonded human who was under threat,” the Alpha explained. “It is to my understanding that it’s your responsibility to keep those hellish Demons in check, but,” he shrugged, “here we are, saving your skins.”

“A human?” Seokjin questioned. “Is the human associated with an Angel?” 

“Indirectly,” came a voice I didn’t expect. Taehyung stood awkwardly at the side of the exchange, his hands hanging clutched in front of him as though he was uncomfortable with his nakedness. “The Wolf is bonded to Jungkook, who is related to the human with the Angel.”

“Names,” Seokjin barked. 

“You already know,” Taehyung half-whispered, and the Hunter’s dark eyes narrowed. The Wolf gulped. “Jimin is the wolf from Jiho’s pack,” he began, nodding towards the tall, pale Anthrokos Alpha. “The Angel’s name is Jung Hoseok… A-and his human is Min Yoongi.”

The Hunter who had the Leech in an arm-lock turned on Seokjin. “You’ve known all of this for how long?” 

“I…” Seokjin blinked. “He could be lying.”

“That’s the truth as far as I know it,” Jiho confirmed, and the Hunters’ eyes fell on me. I nodded as well. 

“And so, the Vampires came for…?” Youngjae suddenly spoke up. 

“That’s unclear,” I stated. “But…” I beckoned towards the panting Demon on his knees in the leaf-litter. 

“Fat chance getting anything useful out of one of these proud assholes,” the unknown Hunter scoffed, jerking roughly on a twisted limb. The Demon mewled in agony, spluttering on black goo. 

“Well, keep us updated,” Jiho said, turning his fierce gaze on me. He seemed reluctant to speak with the Hunters—I got that. 

Moments later the black wolves had dispersed, and I sent my small army home to comfort the pack. Taehyung sank back down onto all fours and shifted into Lupe. 

“We need to talk to the Angel again,” Seokjin said, half to me and half to the other humans. I wasn’t listening—Youngjae’s fuming gaze continuously landed in mine, and even if he yanked his eyes away immediately, it sent a thrill down my spine every time. I did my best to refrain from showing it, however. He looked a little guilty that he injured me—under all the raging humiliation—and that was precisely where I wanted him. 

~

Taehyung kindly helped me clean my wounds before we trotted together back to the pack. My father had plenty to say about my running off in the middle of guard duty, and even more to say about my calling the rest of the defensive Wolves away without reason. He didn’t seem to understand that we could be in serious danger, and hardly flinched at the mention of the Demon attack. He may have lived through the last Demon war, but that didn’t make this less significant. Hunters gathering, Demon attacks, and a seemingly important young human? I was getting more and more suspicious.

On top of that, I was downright determined to see that Hunter again. Youngjae. His round cheeks and soft eyes made me melt in a way I wasn’t used to. His strong will and determined attitude further stoked the flames. Youngjae was definitely getting to me, and I was more than ready to show that Hunter exactly how hot those flames could be. 

The next day, Taehyung approached me—dressed this time—and I was a little cautious to see Junhong flanking him. 

“The Hunters are meeting Hoseok tonight, and…” Taehyung paused, itched his head, turned to glance at Junhong, then looked back at me. “There’s another Angel.”

“Whose?”

“Some kid… Jungkook’s friend, I think?”

“What does that mean?”

The orange-haired boy shrugged, and I huffed. 

“Okay. We’ll go meet them. But…” I lowered my voice. “I think it’s better if we keep this on the down-low.”

“Roger,” Taehyung said with a nod, and I glanced at the younger, snowy-haired teen. He mimicked Taehyung’s curt nod, a strangely reserved look on his usually-so-innocent features. 

If Taehyung had begun corrupting him in any way, shape, or form, there was going to be hell to pay. 

~

I smelt him long before I saw or felt his presence. Youngjae smelt clean and masculine with a touch of cinnamon. His skin, if I remembered correctly, smelt like the faintest of musks, and his hair like fresh flowers. I fantasised about him for the entire afternoon, and when I finally saw him, his stubborn glare put all my memories of that face to shame. 

“Junhong,” the tall, deep-voiced Hunter exclaimed as we approached. I had been looking around at the other spirits to see who was there, but my eyes snapped to the young Wolf as he rushed into the Hunter’s arms. My jaw dropped. My alarmed glare at Taehyung was met with a nonchalant shrug. 

I decided it was beyond my help already when I saw them kiss—slowly, like it mattered a damn lot. With a disapproving grimace, I turned my attention to more pressing matters. 

“Taehyung,” said the black-haired spirit who stood close to the human’s back fence. I faced him then, and the shorter spirit by his side. I was sure they were both Angels, just from the way their spirits shimmered. Bright, selfless, loving colours shone in their auras in a way that of a Demon never would. They were clearly creatures of Heaven—one noticeably more so than the other—and they watched us with a curiosity I hadn’t expected. 

“This is Daehyun,” Taehyung said, beckoning weakly. “Hyung, this is Hoseok,” at me that time. 

I locked eyes with the Angel, and on closer inspection, he didn’t seem nearly as bright and shiny as the other. Just as powerful and unnecessarily attractive, just not as… Celestial. 

“I’ve heard so much,” the Angel said with a grin. 

I shot Taehyung a look, and then found my smile. “I could say the same.”

Taehyung tensed visibly at my side, and I realised it was because Seokjin had approached. “It looks like we’re all here, then,” the human huffed. 

“Right,” Hoseok said with a grim drop in his mood. “Yesterday was…” He began, shaking his head. “Ridiculous.”

I couldn’t agree more. “I’ve never fought that many Demons at once,” I stated, and the Hunters nodded while we made a rough circle to stand and talk in. It was after dark but not late, and Anthrokos eyes glowed as bright as the moon. Junhong’s long fingers were laced with the Hunter’s, but I tried not to let it bother me. They stood at attention, between Taehyung and Youngjae, and Seokjin divided me and the Angels. 

“First of all,” Hoseok began, “I am here… I was sent here to protect the life of Min Yoongi. Your Alpha, Daehyun, will know of Yoongi’s late father.” The mood was suddenly concentrated and tense, and the Hunters all focused on Hoseok. “From what I know, his name was Dongyoon, and was primarily responsible for the fall of Lilith’s army in the second Great War.”

Eyes grew wide—mine and the Hunters’, and even the other Angel’s. It was clear that everyone knew about this war, and about the aforementioned ‘Champion.’ My father had mentioned the human warrior when I was young. The name didn’t ring a bell, but that was no reason not to believe the Angel’s story.

“Dongyoon’s life was taken by specially-trained human assassins. The bounty placed on his head by Lilith extended to the rest of his family. Dongyoon’s wife was killed as well, and… now Yoongi is the target.” It pained him to say—that much is clear—and his eyes reflected his anguish about his human’s misfortune. I didn’t think I’d ever see one of Heaven’s Angels look so sad.

“You’re saying Lilith has every dangerous Demon under her command out for this human, and he’s still alive?” Youngjae questioned, his eyes bugging. Hoseok met the Hunter’s eyes and his shoulders squared proudly, seeming to take that as a stroke to his ego. Youngjae scoffed, amused. “Pride is a sin, you know.”

Hoseok suddenly smirked, and the expression made his face unnecessarily more handsome. “If you’re expecting me to abstain from the cardinal sins, Hunter, you’ll be sorely disappointed.” His chest swelled with a deep breath, and all humour left his features. “I’m no longer acquainted with Heaven.”

The humans seemed as shocked by that as I was. “How?” I breathed, glancing at Taehyung only to see he wasn’t surprised at all. Hoseok’s head turned towards the human’s back fence then, and I followed his gaze.

“I’m how,” came a deep, determined voice, and my eyes found the human in the dark. White skin and a small, cute face—I thought for a moment that he was a girl. The way he walked contradicted that, with a lazy, confident stride and heavy footfalls. He approached Hoseok and stood between him and Seokjin—the latter moved aside and looked him up and down.

I shook my head. “How does an Angel lose connections with Heaven?”

“Falling,” Youngjae said, as though it was obvious. “Angels can bond with humans just like you Wolves, and it cuts them right out of Heaven for good.”

“Th-then why?” I spluttered, my head whipping to look at the Fallen. His dark eyes flickered; Yoongi took his hand. Oh.

“Then… Yoongi,” Youngjae said, suddenly addressing the human. Yoongi met the Hunter’s soft eyes. “To my knowledge of Angels, that spirit bond should give you total protection from Lilith and all of her Demons. You’re… sacred.” He paused before the last word and emphasised it heavily.

Yoongi huffed, a bittersweet smile on his lips. “But what’s more important to her? That rule, or my bounty?”

Silence shrouded the small troupe until Hoseok spoke, a morbid tone to his voice. “Isn’t it obvious?” he said to us all. He beckoned around us as though there was some evidence to prove his point, but the body-clean-up had already been done. “We wouldn’t have a problem were Yoongi ‘sacred,’ as you say.”

“And I’m not the only one at risk here,” Yoongi added. His stance suddenly changed; his back straightened and a deep breath trembled its way in and out of him. “M-my brother was attacked yesterday…”

My brows rose, a subtle reaction compared to the reeling Hunters.

“Is he marked?” Youngjae huffed, suddenly seeing this as a great deal more of a problem.

Yoongi nodded: “he is.”

“And bonded to Shin Jiho’s Werewolf,” Junhong’s Hunter added in his alarmingly-attractive deep voice. It wasn’t quite a question.

Yoongi nodded again, his eyes sinking to the forest floor.

“Then almost anyone you interact with is threatened?” Youngjae said.

“N-no… not unmarked humans, right?” Yoongi questioned, glancing up at his Angel. Hoseok was a good couple of inches taller, and tilted his head down with a concerned yet bottomless loving look.

“I don’t know,” the Angel whispered, letting go of the human’s hand to pet the back of his hair.

“It sounds like the rules aren’t being followed in this case,” the smallest Hunter said, and his gaze flicked past mine, clearly avoiding me. “Well, what do we do?” he asked his colleagues: Seokjin, and the tall, deep-voiced one who was still holding Junhong’s hand as though he owned him. “We know now what these gatherings are all about… and it isn’t anything like what we’ve faced before.”

“Demons aren’t usually after just one human,” Seokjin agreed. “Especially one who has protection.”

“Is…” Youngjae began, and then turned back to Hoseok. “Do you still count as ‘protection’?”

Hoseok shrugged lightly and pursed his lips. “In who’s opinion?”

“Heaven’s?” Youngjae tried. Hoseok’s expression changed while he thought.

“I honestly think I don’t count as anything to Heaven anymore. As for Yoongi’s place with Heaven, I’m sure he is still protected. Dongyoon’s status granted his entire line protection.”

Youngjae nodded, his lips pouted cutely while he chewed thoughtfully on the side of his mouth. “But Lilith?”

“It’s anybody’s guess,” the Angel shrugged.

“That Vampire,” I suddenly said, a thought coming to mind, “what did it say?”

“‘She’ll have him,’ and so on,” Seokjin mumbled angrily. “Killed him after a few hours.”

My eyes didn’t miss the way Hoseok stroked a comforting hand up Yoongi’s arm.

“But that could mean anything,” Youngjae explained. “Or nothing, honestly. Not all spirits speak with reason. World-walking Demons like Vampires are often disinclined to be of any use whatsoever.” My brow quirked on one side—that sounded like a potential complement—Wolves aren’t world-walking. “I guess the question is…” he continued, “what now?”

“We need to find out… exactly what this is. We need to go to someone who heard it straight from Lilith.” Hoseok was dead-serious. It sent the Hunters into stunned silence.

“Do you…” Youngjae began, pausing as though he couldn’t get his head around it. “Do you think there’s any sense in contacting a world-walking Demon? As though they might help you?”

“I’m not going to sit around and do nothing, if that’s the alternative,” Hoseok confirmed, and it was incredibly final. He’d made up his mind already. “Vampires are colonised in this realm and live in civilised covens. There’s a chance I can find out what I need to know.”

“How?” Youngjae squeaked. “Bargaining? You gonna bring some human snacks along?” His bias against Vampires glittered in his eyes.

Hoseok’s gentle, empathetic soul suddenly seemed to flare up. I felt his anger at the Hunter’s words like a wave of heat. It seemed I wasn’t the only one, either. The Hunter’s turned their full attention on the spirit, their bodies tensing with alarm, and Youngjae suddenly blanched. His quick wit, although highly alluring in my eyes, was capable of getting him into trouble.

Something about the way Yoongi touched him made him calm down a little, and Hoseok huffed angrily before speaking. “Unless you’d like to offer yourself, Yoo Youngjae…”

The little, pale-faced Hunter cleared his throat, standing square again to regain some dignity. “If you plan to approach a coven of Vampires, I suggest you don’t take the human, and also, bring backup. I don’t doubt your power, but by no means should you underestimate theirs.” Youngjae’s helpful words soothed the Angel further. “We’re contactable if you require our services.”

Hoseok didn’t speak again. He rubbed his human’s arm thoughtfully, and mumbled something to the Angel by his side. Taehyung glanced towards me and then the Hunters as they prepared to leave. I made the mistake of glancing over at Junhong, only to catch him engaging in what looked like a kiss he wasn’t old enough to receive. Wolves at his age commonly engaged in coital behaviours, and in human form, kissing wasn’t excluded. What I hated was that Junhong was kissing a Hunter. It worried me that he trusted—and maybe even loved—that human. He knew he could imprint easily at his age, and it would be hell for him if something happened to that Hunter. My chest swelled with the urge to say something, but Junhong was not my son—I decided to keep an eye on him, but otherwise keep out of it.

I offered an encouraging smile to the small, seemingly-bewildered human as Hoseok began to usher him inside, and got one in return. The Quarter-Demon in that boy’s soul was almost dormant, and he didn’t seem anything like a warrior, but that didn’t mean I would let anything happen to him. He was a human living in my territory—living around Spirits and Demons and bonded to a Fallen… he might be the most interesting human I would ever meet.

No, I thought as I filled my lungs with fresh, cinnamony perfection. The second-most interesting.

~

It may have been a low move to follow Youngjae home. I stopped his apartment door with my hand as he entered, and he screeched with such alarm that I must have succeeded in hiding my soul-scent from him. He spun, ducking in horror and sprawling backwards into the back of a blood-maroon couch.

“Daehyun!” he cried, his brows pinching as soon as the shock left his eyes. I couldn’t help but smirk; he was literally the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

“Nice place,” I said as I stepped inside and shut his door behind me. Youngjae’s eyes bugged. He stared at me for a short moment, bewildered, and then shoved angrily at my chest. I took a step back, mostly as a complement—he couldn’t really move me. The thought made my eyes travel up his slim, leather-clad arms, and my tongue darted out to wet my lips.

“Yeah,” he huffed, and pushed me again, his arms straightening with palms flat against my shoulders. “Too bad you’re leaving.”

“You’re not a very good host,” I teased, leaning towards him a little to offset his honest attempt. He panted once, and then pursed his lips with the effort. “Besides, you owe me.”

His elbows bent, the strength leaving his arms. “What? No, no I do not. You’re a Demon, I’m a Hunter, and I shot you. Because you’re a Demon.”

“I wasn’t hurting anyone but the enemy,” I combated, sliding my hands up his arms from his wrists towards his small, round shoulders. He jerked away before I could touch his neck. Now, with three feet between us, he huffed again, an adorable sight that blew his bangs up out of his eyes. “That makes me as safe from you as a human, if you’re following the rules.”

Youngjae crossed his arms, his chin high but his eyes at the floor. “I… wh-what do you want?”

I didn’t answer, so he glanced up and met my eyes. I gave him a look that couldn’t mean anything else—a dark smirk with one eyebrow quirking—and he reeled.

“N-… No! Daehyun!” He groaned as he tried to push me again. I grinned and went with his weight, stumbling back against the door with a thump that had him falling against me. A heavy ‘oof’ left his lips, and I couldn’t help but bend my neck and bury my face under his collar. Cinnamon, I thought with trembling satisfaction. Nothing could have stopped the purr-like sound that rumbled in my throat.

Youngjae’s jaw clenched as his teeth clacked together. At some point, my arms had wound around his waist; I didn’t notice until he tried to escape.

“Why not?” I sighed as he writhed away from me, but he didn’t go far. “You had no complaints last time.”

“Last-! ...” he paused, flushing red at the squeak that had replaced his voice. “Last time, I was playing you, if you recall, and I had good reason.”

“You have a good reason this time,” I breathed, stepping very slowly and carefully towards him. “I mean, apart from the fact that I’m undeniably irresistible, you do owe me if you don’t want a soon-to-be Werewolf Alpha holding a grudge against you.”

Stubbornly ignoring me, he grumbled: “I know what you dogs are like; I’d be stupid to let you sleep with me more than once.”

“You’re scared I’ll imprint on you?” I clarified, slinking closer carefully enough that he didn’t react.

“Not scared… but that would be inconvenient. If you started following me around like that red dog follows Seokjin, I’d be forced to shoot you somewhere fatal.”

“God forbid I like you as much as Junhong likes the tall one, right?” I added, getting closer until his sweet spice drove me insane.

“Yongguk? Fuck, I think they’re already bonded. I’m not desperate enough to avoid your petty grudge to risk that.”

“Petty? Youngjae, you shot me. Twice.”

“I’m not apologising.”

“Fine. Let me fuck you and I’ll leave.”

“Daehy-” he began, but the sound faded away into a vocal sigh. I’d finally gotten close enough to trap him against his couch, and in one, inhumanly quick movement, I locked his wrists against his side and ground my thigh between his slim, leather-clad legs.

There we go, I thought as I smelt a wave of sweet human pheromones buffet me. Youngjae’s breath hitched, the fight leaving him as his muscles slumped weakly.

“I’ll be gentle,” I breathed into his hair, my eyes drifting shut from his smell.

“Once…” he reluctantly agreed, his voice trailing off into a breathy protest. “And you leave afterwards.”

“You have my word,” I growled against the soft cartilage of his ear, a beastly rumble that he’d never hear from a human. He shivered. “You don’t do this much,” I stated gently, letting his wrists go so I could discover some of his skin. The zip at his clavicles opened to a white tank, and the warm, masculine smell of his sweat blinded my senses. I groaned, powerless against every alluring part of him. I didn’t even attempt to stop myself biting his neck

“Hhh-aahh!” he croaked, the squeak in his voice warning me it may have been too rough. “Don’t bite me! You’re a fucking Beta!” My hurried apology was met with a scoff. “You’re not sorry,” he grumbled, suddenly panting against my skin.

“Mmm, and I bet you won’t admit,” I began, sliding my lips up his jaw and running my thumb over the teeth-marks, “how much you like it when I’m rough with you.”

“Fuck off,” he hissed, his venomous tone falling short when it leaked with desire.

“I’ll bet you haven’t slept around all that much, have you?” He moaned, somehow managing it to be a slightly distressed sound. “Is that why you became a hunter? To get some?”

“I don’t need you dogs to get some,” he breathed, contradicting his actions when his hands came to my hips.

“Of course not—pretty little thing like you—but you’d rather us ‘dogs,’ wouldn’t you, Jae?” I smiled as crimson crawled across his cheeks. “I bet it’s a kink.”

“Do me a favour and shut up,” he grumbled. He shoved my chest and then grabbed my wrist. Smiling with self-satisfaction, I followed him to his bedroom.

The Hunter let go of my hand to slip out of his jacket—if you could call the skin-tight thing such—and I watched with delight as long, slim, pale arms worked him out of his matching pants. In his tank and boxer-shorts, I finally realised just how much I wanted this. He tumbled onto his bed with a yelp, bouncing a little from how hard I pushed. I watched his throat as he gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing under the red, bruising mark.

The bed was just how I remembered under my hands and knees—delightfully firm with just enough softness, and clothed with crisp, fresh sheets. A stuttered sigh left the human’s lips as I trailed my fingers up his body, under his tank, dragging the cloth to his neck so I could attach my mouth to his skin. His soft chest beckoned to be bitten. The effort to hold back had me panting. Gentle nips moved to his nipple, and a soft mewl trickled hesitantly from deep in his throat.

“H-hurry up,” the Hunter whispered in an exasperated tone, his hands moving to wrap around my biceps.

“I’ll go as slow as I want,” I growled, “until you’re begging me for another reason.”

“Were you always this much of a dick, or is it an acquired trait?”

All the muscles in my shoulders bunched at his snappiness. I never expected to find such a brazen nature so attractive. Formerly comfortable in my human form, I was surprised to feel the Anthrokos rage inside. I let him come to the surface, desperate to see how the Hunter would react. Thick canines snapped down from my top row of teeth. The colour-change in my eyes brought about that supernatural improvement in vision, and I blinked to acclimatise.

Youngjae gasped and exhaled, too shocked to hide it. In this form, nothing was hidden about how different we really were. My blood ran hotter now, and I could easily crush his bones in my grip. I could watch him with so much clarity, hear and smell him better than he could ever imagine, and god, I needed to taste him right away.

A high, startled squeak rose in his throat when I kissed him, and it took a few hesitant movements of my lips to coax a positive reaction. I felt like I couldn’t breathe when he kissed me back. As though a part of me opened up, I felt my spirit drift towards his, searching for something. I moaned, confused and elated and drowning. I usually had so much control over my soul—more than my physical form—and took pride in the skill. What Youngjae did to me was out of my hands entirely, and I arched my back against his slender frame for more contact.

Luckily, with his body on offer, I didn’t have the consciousness to think about it all that hard. Youngjae reciprocated when I undressed him and kissed hot zigzags down his middle to his half-hard cock. Alarmed whimpers and gasped demands to ‘be careful’ left his pink, swollen lips. The rounded sides of my fangs dragged up his length; he fit snugly between them. A minute hardly passed before he dragged me back up to his face, trembling while he kissed me, hard. For someone so reluctant to begin with, Youngjae was quick to show me what he wanted.

I pressed inside his hot body slowly, attempting to limit the collateral damage caused by my grip on his thighs to bruises. A mish-mash of colours crossed my vision until I couldn’t see anything but white. My eyes, jaw and fists clenched, and my toes curled against his sheets. If there was anything I wasn’t confident about, it was self-control during sex. With such an alluring partner—and so miserably out of practice—I hardly stood a chance of taking it slow enough. I should have prepared him more.

Soft huffs left his lips as I moved until he bit down on his bottom lip, his eyes cast down at where we were joined. I watched as his pink cheeks darkened, and sweat slowly formed under his messy, black bangs. With desperate, sporadic movements, his hips began to meet my slow rhythm. The breathy groan that spilled from my throat caused a shudder all up his perfect little body. It became increasingly obvious how insatiable I was going to be towards this in the future.

I bent over him then, leant down to kiss his face in a few warm, sweaty places, until I captured his thick, hot lips. His hands moved to my face, but after a second, I realised it wasn’t in an affectionate way at all.

“Daehyun,” he whimpered with more than a little urgency. I pulled back just far enough to let him speak, my hips not slowing a bit in their ambitious rolling. His flushed, lust-stricken face drew me back in, and he whined when I kissed him. That time he pushed me away, gripping my shoulders roughly with clammy hands. “D-Daehyun, fuck, stop it.”

My fist clenched in the pillow beside his head. My hips pushed against him but stilled, burying me inside him while I breathed: “what?”

“S-stop kissing me like that! I can see you falling for me. Fuck, I can see it on your face.”

My heart stuttered and jumped, but I flatly refused to acknowledge anything outside the spectrum of our physical endeavour. After a few moments of stillness, movement shocked us both. That tight heat gripped me mercilessly, and I couldn’t help but slam back in hard.

I honestly wanted to tell him not to talk shit, but a smarter part of me knew he was right. That ambitious part of my spirit had hooked somewhere in his, and I didn’t even think to try to prevent it. Frustration built up while my mind was torn between him and myself, and my climax built up faster than I wanted. The Hunter was already touching himself when I considered doing it for him, and he beat me to the end. With high shouts and complaints about god-knows-what, Youngjae clenched hard around me and pulled me down with him. I howled, the sound akin to one only my canine relatives could make, and rode roughly against his round butt until I couldn’t stand it any longer.

Slim fingers clenched hard on my biceps, and he shouted in pain, because I bit him—I really bit him. My canines sank through the flesh of his shoulder until my incisors left their own marks. God, it was so tempting to change him. I wanted to, and it would have been so easy. All I had to do was reach into that soft, malleable human half of his soul and make it mine. He wouldn’t have been able to stop me. Something made me resist, however, and I gently pulled away from the bite.

“Fuck!” he shrieked. “You c-can’t do that! Jung Daehyun!”

I didn't attempt to apologise, because what point was there when it would be a lie? Biting is possessive in many Demons, especially in Wolves, and no part of me regretted showing him how I felt. Biting symbolises changing—claiming for your own pack—and even if I didn’t change him, it was clear to us both why I bit him.

“I knew this would happen,” he whimpered, and his irate expression melted into one of pain. “Oww…”

Too exhausted to do much else, the Hunter slumped his soft body heavily against the bed. I knew it would show weakness, but I couldn't help myself from licking his mark. I was no Angel, but that didn't mean I couldn’t help him heal a whole lot better than human medicine could. His breath hitched as I lapped up the dribbles of crimson blood that dripped across his clavicle.

The tension across his shoulders eased as the healing worked to soothe his pain. An unexpected affectionate stroke moved up my neck and into my hair, and I nuzzled into it.

“If you don't leave in the next five minutes, Daehyun…” he threatened. I ignored it entirely, moving to rub my cheek against his. Youngjae groaned. “Don't; I'm serious.” Grinning, I moved my face to the other side and nuzzled against his temple. His messy hair still felt soft, and his sweaty skin smelt amazing. A happy sound rumbled in my throat. “If you're scent-marking me right now, I swear to god-”

“I am.”

“Get out.” He pushed roughly, but the effort was moot. Impulsively, I turned my head and kissed his lips, and it shocked me when he didn’t protest. What’s more, he kissed back, gripped my arms and sighed softly, and there was no way I was going to leave after that.

Despite the constant refusals, Youngjae actively put me right where he wanted me with his actions. He manipulated the kiss until it was soft and controlled—just the way he liked it. I sank down over him, held up by just my elbows by his side. It really began to hit me that I had let myself bond with him, then. It settled somewhere warm and comfortable—somewhere personal that throbbed and trembled with excitement. If Youngjae thought he was getting rid of me any time soon, he had another thing coming.

~


	31. Do It My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Junkook  
> ((Slight trigger warning: masochism))

~

The first thing I woke up to was a loud, devastated shout from my brother, and it shook Yooncheol and myself from a heavy sleep. I groaned and rolled to get up, almost tripped on his mattress on the way out of my room, and told him not to worry as I went to check it out. Hyung didn't usually shout, or even raise his voice all that much, and by the time I was out of my room, he'd already caused dread to settle in my gut. In the living room, Jimin hovered close to Yoongi, looking like he wanted to comfort him.

“Hyung,” I whispered, even more alarmed now for several reasons: one being that Jimin was in human form while Yooncheol was still here, and the other being the panic all over his face, and all throughout his pose. Yoongi, too, was bent over with his face in his hands, just perched carefully on the couch as though he needed somewhere to sit in case he fell. I crept over and touched my Hyung's shoulder, and he visibly tensed. I met Jimin's gaze with questioning, fearful eyes, but the look he returned wasn't encouraging.

“Kookie-yah,” Yoongi trembled, and that broken voice dragged me down to sit beside him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Hyung, what is it?”

“H-Hoseok… he's gone… How can he be gone?”

“Gone?” I squeaked, looking up at Jimin again.

“Only half an hour ago, Hoseok woke me to say there were Vampires in the area, and Jongup and I went to investigate, but we got caught up fighting. When I got back to the house, Hoseok... Hoseok was just gone.”

“H-he must hav-ve been lured or someth-thing,” Yoongi stuttered, and I realised that he really was shaking. “What if s-something happened? What if someone killed him?”

“Yah, don't think like that,” I said, though my heart clenched with pain at his words. What if someone had?

“He's not dead, Yoongi, I promise,” came a soft voice from the other side of the lounge room. How had I not seen that guy there? Fluffy, blonde hair was parted in the middle of his forehead and framing his face, and a concerned look covered his handsome features. His all-white getup reminded me of someone, and it suddenly occurred to me that he must be Yooncheol's Angel. The Spirit looked uncomfortable, but his creased brows didn't detract from his looks—I figured it had to be an Angel thing.

“You're sure?” my Hyung asked, meeting the Spirit's eyes. There was a level of trust in his voice that I was surprised to hear. Whatever the Angel had to say, Yoongi seemed to think he'd be right.

“I am. Killing an Angel is impossible.” Everyone in the room stilled then, and the Angel seemed to realise he should continue. “Angels are immortal. No wound could ever kill us. Nothing can drain our power, because it's limitless. He cannot be dead, Yoongi.”

“He can't... die?” Yoongi tried, his breath not shaking so much then. “Why didn't I know that?”

“Maybe it didn't seem relevant to him,” Jimin offered. “His life was never in danger here, as far as we thought.”

“It's just me, isn't it?” Yoongi began, his voice stern and suddenly angry. “You're all in danger because of me.”

“Don't think like that,” I said, but I wasn't sure if I could comfort him. I wasn't even sure I had any idea what was going on.

“We're in this together, Yoongi,” Jimin added. “You're family.”

My heart leapt at his words, and I glanced up at the sincere expression he pointed at my Hyung. I knew Yoongi was surprised as well, but I couldn't look away from Jimin then. My whole chest swelled with love for him in that moment, and it was the first time I'd been so sure about this, so sure about us.

“Y-Yooncheol-ah,” The Angel suddenly said, and it made my eye twitch with confusion. I glanced up at him, then followed his eyes to the entrance of my room. As I suspected, Yooncheol was standing in the doorway, wide eyes locked on his Angel. I hugged Yoongi tighter for a moment, worrying about what might happen.

The Angel went to Yooncheol then, and my friend's bugging eyes followed him closely, flooded with mistrust and a hint of fear. I was sure I'd heard the Angel wasn't supposed to 'mark' him, as the spirits called it, and if I had my facts straight, he was possibly about to fail that mission. He must have been standing there long enough to hear the 'Angel' part, and apparently, from the tension in the room, there wasn't much chance we were making it all up. I turned back to Jimin when the Spirit began saying something to him, and my boy-wolf sighed heavily.

“Yah,” I whispered to Yoongi. “We'll find him. We have Werewolves and Hunters and even another Angel on our side, right?” I glanced at Jimin for backup, and smiled slightly when he nodded. “We will find him, Hyung. I promise you.”

Yoongi's fists clenched for a moment, then he lifted his head to look in my eyes. “Thanks,” he breathed. “Really… Thank you. Crying isn't going to help, so… we need a plan.”

“What do you mean you're an Angel?” Yooncheol begged louder from behind us, and we all turned towards them at the same time.

“Oh boy,” Yoongi sighed. As he did, the Angel let out an exaggerated breath, and then suddenly began to undress. There was an awkward bout of silence while he stripped out of a white vest and shirt, and then suddenly, like magic, a pair of huge, white wings just unfolded from his back. Yooncheol gaped. I gaped. The soft feathers seemed to glitter in the dim, iridescent light, and they were so huge that they made him look positively small.

“Here we go,” Yoongi added, and I smirked at him. Being revealed to this world was probably different for everyone, but we both knew basically what he was going through. “I should help talk him through it,” Hyung whispered to me, tapping my leg. “Take your pet boyfriend somewhere so he doesn't scare the kid off.”

“I wouldn't-” Jimin began, but I caught his gaze and stood, and he didn't bother finishing.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you think he's all right?” I asked Jimin while he pushed me on a swing at the nearest park. His hands between my shoulders felt protective somehow—I felt safe. “I mean... he wasn't supposed to find out, right?”

“He wasn't,” Jimin confirmed. “But I don't think it’s a big deal. Jongup wouldn't let anything happen to him, either way.”

“Jongup,” I repeated, learning the name. “I don't know much about Angels, but Jongup looks at Yooncheol just like Hoseok looks at Yoongi.”

“They're both bonded,” my Wolf said. “They love their humans just as much as each other.”

“That's weird though, because... loving someone like Hoseok loves Yoongi can't be the same as... well, a non-romantic relationship.”

“It is, though,” he tried to explain. “Hoseok doesn't love Yoongi more just because Yoongi loves him back.”

“That's... I'm weirded out by that.”

I heard Jimin chortle, and the next time, I should have felt his hands on my back, I felt them on my front instead, and he slowed my swing to a stop with a grip around my waist. I turned to see why, and was met with a soft kiss on my lips. Jimin's hand edged gently up my hips, around to my stomach and over my chest. A moment ago, I could have been hanging out with any one of my friends, but in just a second, everything about the moment changed. My whole body responded, from my toes curling in my shoes to my stomach coiling and flipping. It almost surpassed what I was comfortable with doing in public before he pulled away and gently stroked my cheek.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered against my forehead while I nuzzled against his neck. “You just smelt so good.”

The idea of smelling good to him always made me ecstatic. “Mmm? What do I smell like?”

“Like…” Jimin bent and nudged my chin up and buried his face against my jugular. I tingled all over when he took a deep breath, his lips and nose right against the soft, delicate skin there. “Like warm bed and… delicious, healthy Jungkookie.”

I laughed. “What?” I said, still giggling, and looped an arm around his neck.

“You just smell like yourself, since you haven't bathed or eaten, and I like that.”

“Oh?” I felt my face begin to burn, and my Wolf swooped in to kiss my cheek. “Well… sorry to burst your bubble, but I'd like to bathe and eat as soon as I get home.”

“I suppose I could allow that,” Jimin whispered, lips ghosting across the bridge of my nose, and pressing a kiss to my other cheek.

“How long should we wait here? I didn't bring my phone.”

Jimin shrugged and wrapped his arms around me tighter. “Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?”

I immediately felt as though there was something he wanted to talk about, and gulped at the thought. “Not that I can think of... but if you have something on your mind, Jimin-ah...”

“Well… I wanted to know what you were thinking about last night… about making yourself 'less defenceless.' I got a little nervous when you talked about that.”

“Oh… that.” I had been frustrated and rather worried that I'd been attacked and almost killed by Demons, but I refused to let myself admit I'd been afraid. I came out of it without so much as a scar, and Jimin hadn't left my side for more than ten minutes since. What I knew Jimin was talking about was the things I'd said in my frustration: 'I need to find a way to defend myself. I don't want to have to run from Demons.'

“Yeah, that. Jungkook, this world isn't meant for humans. If you were thinking of asking me to make you a Werewolf, I… I-”

“What?” I cut him off, reeling a little. “No! Jimin, I don't... I don't want that. I wasn't thinking that at all.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyes going bright, and I could imagine his fluffy, black ears pricking up with interest.

“Yeah, I was… I was thinking more… Demon Hunter?”

It hit him hard, and he leant back only to squint at me. “Jungkook.”

“I know what you're gonna say.”

“No, you do not. Jungkook, being a Hunter isn't just being powerful and hunting Demons. It's a pact, involving an initiation—that could kill you—and an oath, and you don't just get to 'be a Hunter,' it becomes your life. You have to live the rest of your life serving others. You don't want that.”

“How do you know what I want?”

Jimin's face fell at my tone, and I didn't realise quite how snappy it had been until then.

“Sorry Jimin-ah… I just... I can't be defenceless with all of this going on. Yoongi isn't safe right now, and I wanna help you guys protect me. He's the only family I have left, Jimin. Apart from you, he is all I have.”

“Let us protect him,” Jimin begged, and he came around the front of the swing on which I sat. “There are many Hunters already, and I know so many Spirits who will help. You don't need to put your life at risk. Do you know how much it would hurt him if something happened to you?”

“Don't you see, Jimin? Something has happened. I nearly died less than two days ago. That wouldn't have happened if I knew how to protect myself.”

“Can we at least think about this before you act like you've made up your mind?”

I watched agony spread across his face, and I hoped I could make it go away, at least for a while. I didn't like thinking it was because of me—because he was worried he might lose me. I thought for a second about how I would feel if I felt that his life was threatened, and it ached enough to make me sympathise.

“I haven't made up my mind,” I whispered, and I tipped my chin up to ask for a kiss. Never one to disappoint, Jimin leant down and captured my lips with his. “I'm sorry I make you worried,” I forced myself to whisper, and Jimin just nodded, scraping his fingers gently across my scalp until I warned him I liked it too much and dragged him away from the park to head home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yooncheol sat quietly in the living room with Jongup on the adjacent couch, and Yoongi was making food in the kitchen. I felt the tension as soon as I walked in, thick enough to cut with a knife. Jimin followed, fingers laced with mine, while I went to ask Yoongi how it had gone.

“Jongup is good at calming him down, and he seems to believe it all, but... hesitantly.”

“It's a start,” I sighed, and Yoongi nodded.

The day went by slowly. Yoongi never sat still, always doing something, whether it be washing our clothes, cleaning the house, or something noisy in his bedroom. I empathised heavily, thinking every time I looked at Jimin that it could have been him we lost. By nightfall, after Jongup reluctantly left us to take Yooncheol home, Yoongi had hardly sat down for more than five minutes in total. It didn't surprise me when he had a breakdown, but that didn't mean it wasn't painful.

“I haven't gone this long without him since he moved in here,” Hyung's voice trembled through tears. “I didn't think I was this dependent… but I don't even know what to do when he's not here. What if someone decided to attack now?”

“That's a good point,” Jimin added. “I feel like I should call for backup.”

“You can do that?” I asked, brows rising as I met his gaze.

“Taehyung shouldn't be busy, and his friends as well. Failing that... there's my pack...”

It wasn't convincing—the way his lips pursed at the mention of his pack.

“See if Taehyung is free then,” Yoongi suggested. “And his Beta?”

“Daehyun? I suppose. I'll feel better if I know you guys are safe.”

I smiled at Jimin's words, rubbing Hyung's back for comfort. “Maybe sleep will help,” I offered. “You're tired.”

“I'll be right back,” Jimin said, getting up from the couch, resting a hand on Yoongi's shoulder, and planting a kiss on my forehead. I was left with Hyung when he jogged out the back door, and I hoped he was okay with the silence, because I had no idea what to say. I hadn't ever been in a situation where I needed to give comfort, even less to Yoongi. He seemed to appreciate what little I gave, anyway.

Jimin's howl made us both tense a little, but by the time he came back inside, Taehyung was with him, and apparently a few other Wolves were outside. The orange-haired Wolf offered us a small bow, and Yoongi greeted him gratefully. I watched, a little concerned about him, as he prepared for bed. I didn't like feeling thankful that it wasn't me who had to sleep alone.

~

I was almost asleep when Jimin's Lupe trotted through my bedroom door. I hadn't felt entirely safe, entirely relaxed enough to fall asleep without him around, and I felt a smile creep onto my sleepy features when he leapt onto the bed.

“Puppy~” I cooed, opening my arms to cuddle his fluffy body before he changed back to his human form. His fur was always flawlessly soft, and he smelt fresh and foresty after patrolling with Taehyung. Huge paws lay against my chest where he flopped himself down on top of me—I was sure no mortal wolf could be this heavy. I stroked my fingers through the long fur below his ears, incapable of keeping the smile from my face. “I'm kinda sad that I never need to bathe you,” I mumbled, my voice sounding sleepy from lack of use. The Lupe seemed to sigh, and he sat up, with his thick, bushy tail gently wagging, then shifted into his Human. No, I corrected, his Sub-Human—which I'd taken to calling him since I mispronounced the other name.

Glowing amber eyes locked in mine, a gentle smile almost coming to his lips. He seemed sad, though, and it didn't take much to figure out why.

“He'll be okay, right?” I asked, moving my hands to rest on his thighs (which was the most dangerous territory I let myself venture in while he sat naked astride me).

“I know Hoseok will. It's Yoongi I'm worried about. We're not sure we can keep him safe if another large-scale attack ensues.”

“Do you think all the worry can wait until morning?” I asked, poking at his knees. “I'm sleepy.”

“I know you are,” Jimin whispered, and bent down to nuzzle my cheek. Every little action like that set my heart aflame, reminding me of that first confession he made. It wasn't long ago, but so much had happened, it felt like forever. Those memories... everything about that night seemed too long ago, and despite the adoration I felt from his ability to hold back, I wanted him to do it all again.

“Are you going to stay with me?” I whispered, turning to meet his alarming and beautiful eyes with mine.

Jimin's tone changed a little, and he blinked slowly in a deliberately inquisitive way. “Do you want me to?”

“I always want you to stay. When I wake up without you, it's cold and lonely.”

“How can you be so dramatic?” he chuckled. “It's only been a few days.”

“No, you've been sleeping with me for months. Just because you were a dog doesn't mean you weren't warm and comforting.”

“And sometimes I left you then, as well.”

“But I thought you were just going into the lounge room or something—I didn't know you were running off to get yourself hurt.”

Jimin's brow creased a little. “Don't worry about me getting hurt, Kookie-yah; I heal.”

“Doesn't mean I don't worry,” I mumbled back.

Jimin ducked his head and traced his nose along my jaw line from my chin to my ear and back. He slowly inhaled, making me shiver from my fingertips to my toes. It felt strange to like his smelling me, as though I should find it odd, but I didn't find it odd at all. I found it endearing that he liked my scent. He surprised me by pressing a kiss to the soft skin under my jaw, and he responded to my small gasp by sucking the delicate skin there. It began in my chest and crept downwards to coil in my stomach, the first hot tendrils of desire. I didn't need to wonder if he noticed.

After a deep intake of breath with his nose against my throat, he huffed a hot sigh across my skin and sat back to smirk at me. “A moment ago you smelt like shampoo and banana milk, but suddenly you reek of needy-human.”

“I'm not needy,” I argued, pouting slightly despite myself. “Just wanty.”

Jimin grinned then, his eyes disappearing into tiny, glowing crescents. “I'm sorry, did I excite you?” he teased, bending over me and brushing his nose against mine and massaging the muscles below my ribs.

“You're still exciting me,” I breathed, moving to cover his hands with mine. “You showed me what it's like one time and then suddenly we're abstaining for almost a week?” I figured I had a right to say what I felt, since we were... bonded, and all. “A boy’s got needs, Jimin.”

My Wolf suddenly drew back, looking me up and down for a long moment. “Jungkook-ah... if you want to have sex, I’ll indulge you. You’re acting like I’m withholding it.”

I suddenly felt a blush lighting my face on fire. “W-well... I didn’t know if you wanted to or not… but I want to.”

“Are you sure, though? You're not sore?”

“I was fine a day after; you’re just too careful.”

Jimin slid his hands down my sides and back up my front, his hot hands leaving scorching trails that went cold just seconds later. His thumbs rubbed gently at my clavicles while he thought. “With a team of Wolves patrolling, I suppose this is a safe time to let my guard down…”

I grimaced. “Must you relay the logistics? We’ve got a mood going and everything.”

Jimin’s eyes narrowed suddenly, a mischievous grin creeping across his lips. “Sorry, Kookie-yah. Let me make it up to you…” His voice resembled a deep growling, sparking heat in my groin. That wasn’t as bad as the way he crawled backwards and dropped his face to my boxer-shorts. I gasped and almost flailed in shock as he grabbed a hold of the waistband with his incisors. Golden eyes met mine, an inhuman grin flashing sharp canines, as he dragged the only clothing I wore off me.

In just those five seconds, I forgot all about the lapse in arousal. My chest swelled, butterflies raged in my stomach, and heat began lighting my skin so hot I felt like I’d begin sweating any second. Jimin trailed feather-light touches up my calves, and then gripped my thighs while he kissed a trail to my knee. I almost whined—he was so far from where my body wanted him, but the teasing was somehow sexy, somehow addictive and wonderful. By the time his lips reached my upper-thigh, I was sweating and trying not to whimper or beg.

He met my eyes every now and then, just a glance that made my heart thud. I bit my lip while he sucked harshly at my skin, and I knew he’d leave a mark; I knew he’d leave a few. I had no idea what to do while he was down there—teasing me until my abused skin throbbed for more, and the gasps and mumbles were impossible to hold in—and my fingers trembled uncertainly across his shoulders. His head suddenly turned towards my hand then, and nuzzled his soft, warm cheek into it.

It could only really be described as ‘cute,’ the way he rubbed his face against me in just the way a puppy would. He managed to remedy that sentiment by turning his face to swipe his lips across my fingers, take the heel of my palm between his teeth and growl, dart his hot tongue out to tease my flesh. I didn’t think there was a single part of me he couldn’t somehow light on fire. After a deep breath against my skin, he moved his lips to my wrist, and lifted his hand to hold it where he wanted it. I writhed as he sucked hard, feeling my pulse thud against him.

A different growl rose in his throat then, but it sent the same sort of shiver all through my body. It took just a second for me to see darkness swirl in his irises, and my hand involuntarily jerked away from him in shock.

“Sorry,” Jimin rushed to say, and he was suddenly not touching me at all, despite having hardly moved. In that athletic, animalistic way, he was so apt at controlling every part of himself, and his rigid pose was so inhuman that, for a moment, I reeled.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, before I even knew what he was apologising for. Honestly, with blood rushing in my ears and endless heat under my skin, I wasn’t sure I cared what he was apologising for.

“Jungkook, please tell me right now that I cannot bite you… otherwise I might.”

“Why…” I began, my fingers curling as my chest clenched slightly. It slowly dawned on me that his ‘warning’ had caused nothing but a dark stab of arousal. “Why would you bite me?”

Jimin’s fingers ghosted across my hip bone, and his eyes slowly drifted up my body. “Wolves bite their lover to show others who they belong to… Biting is… possessive.”

I gulped, alarmed by the lump in my throat. I couldn’t say a thing, then; if I opened my mouth, I might have told him I wanted that.

“Jungkook… I need you to say it… tell me not to… it’ll help, I’ll try… Just…” Jimin’s shoulders shuddered for a moment, and he bent over me, moving his hands to the bed on either side of me. I watched his chest rise and fall with slightly-ragged breaths, his throat work heavily under his skin, and the uncontainable excitement in the way his length twitched. “Kookie-yah,” he breathed, touched my chest with his nose and then his forehead, messing up his fringe. With his lips drawn back, his teeth scraped across my skin, and I didn’t bother to contain a short, pitiful moan.

“Jimin-ah,” I sighed, suddenly taking his face in my hands. He looked up at me, jaw hanging with his fangs bared, and that unnatural darkness swirled in his eyes. “Wh-what is that?”

“The black?” he clarified, and he shifted to move closer, leant down to press a kiss to my cheek. “It’s just who I am. What happens in my spirit will always show in my eyes.”

“What… what’s happening in your spirit?” As I asked it, Jimin nuzzled affectionately with his face against my cheek.

“There’s a part of me that wants to bite you, and I’m fighting it. It’s almost like the Lycan wants to take over… but I won’t let it.” He moved more gentle nuzzles across my jaw, and then kissed the thin flesh of my throat. “But you make it really difficult… moaning at me when I threaten you.”

His accusation made more heat climb across my cheeks. “Well… would it be so bad if you bit me?”

I hadn’t ever seen someone’s mood change so quickly. His eyes were a dim, gentle gold before I spoke, and suddenly they blackness rose to the surface again, swirling like smoke in a gentle breeze. “Don’t tempt me,” he huffed, and I wasn’t sure if he heard the rips of my bed sheets under his hands.

“Sorry,” I whispered hurriedly, and I reached up to cup his cheeks in my hands again. “Sorry, Jimin-ah.” I reached up and kissed his lips, dared push my tongue inside. I felt his body tense all over, and the strength in the way he manoeuvred us made my own dick react.

“I want to be human when we do this,” Jimin breathed, positioning me comfortably in the middle of the bed and himself between my spread thighs. “But… you drive me over the edge, Jungkook-ah. I can’t… I can’t change back when you’re like this.” He sat up as he said it, and his muscles rippled with barely-contained power. I watched the darkness recede from his eyes as they wandered my body. “I wonder if it’ll ever get any easier.”

“Maybe I could just muzzle you,” I joked, and Jimin was suddenly bent over me, his lips prying mine apart, his huge fangs threateningly brushing my tongue and lips. I couldn’t help but feel horribly turned-on, and I hoped to hell he didn’t notice.

Jimin hadn’t kissed me quite so hard before, and I found my arms wrapping around his neck to draw him closer. Hopefully it was normal to get aroused by the feel of him nipping my bottom lip—hopefully he wouldn’t pick up that it was intrinsically linked to the potential danger I was in. Hopefully, most of all, I wasn’t actually getting off at the thought of him biting me, and somehow had it wrong.

Jimin broke away after some time, and I felt like my lips would be noticeably swollen in the morning. He erased the dreaded thought with two slick fingers prodding gently at my entrance. I suddenly whined at the sharp pang of desire—he didn’t need me to tell him how much I wanted those fingers inside me. My back arched a little as he gave me what I begged for, and I watched his tongue slip between his teeth to push at his cheek; it seemed to take a lot of concentration to maintain those bright, golden eyes.

Despite my impatience, Jimin took as long as he wanted, even having to hold me down as he stretched me comfortably to three fingers. So delirious with pleasure that drool was pooling in the corners of my lips, I had to claw at his arms—or whatever my trembling hands had a hold of—while he slicked himself with spit and aligned his cock right where I wanted it.

“Jimin-” I gasped, and stopped just before I cursed.

“Relax, Kookie-yah,” my Wolf sighed gently, smoothing a hand across my stomach. He seemed too calm now, having been about to tear holes in my flesh with his teeth just five minutes ago. Tension shuddered across my body while I waited, but he didn’t drag it out. My fist ended up in my mouth for something to block the sounds I wanted to release. Jimin’s mewls were too inhuman to be mistaken for my own, but shockingly arousing nonetheless, and I dug my heels into his hips to move him further. Finally in control of himself, he rocked slowly, starting up a rhythm that had my eyes rolling back into my head.

“Jimin-nnnhh,” I whined, and he moved his lips to my neck to make more marks. I felt my teeth clench harshly, because suddenly, the grazing of those harmful canines had my stomach coiling like nothing else, and I couldn’t stop myself. “Bite me.”

A growl rumbled in my ear for a moment, and Jimin buried his nose right up under my jaw. I could feel him begging me to take it back, but he didn’t ask. Maybe he couldn’t talk right then, too uncontrollable to find the humanity. I shivered with fear and anticipation. My fingers curled in my hair and I rocked my hips against his.

“Show them who I belong to,” I begged, my voice too needy to recognise as my own. Jimin responded then, so quickly I didn’t know what happened until it was over. He had tossed me onto my front, arms splayed, and I felt him lifting my waist so he could drive his length back inside me. I almost contained the scream, but unfortunately, I hadn’t been given a second to prepare. Neither did I get a second to feel embarrassed, because just as Jimin bent over my back, a hot, shocking sting took over my nape. I felt his breath down my jaw, and realised with a start that he had bitten me—was still biting me. My entire back tensed in pain, and the howl I let out was muffled by the pillow my face had landed in. A sob built up in my throat as he pushed his hips hard against my butt, but the sound that came out was a trembling moan. If I could find words, I would have sworn like a sailor. I had not been prepared for that sort of pain, but god, I had never been so aware of my capacity for a masochism kink.

The moments after hurried by, blurring together as I felt long, warm licks along my neck and the rolling of his hips against me. Tears soaked my pillow, and I didn’t open my eyes to check if the warmth trickling down my neck was blood. The scorching blossom of pleasure in my groin hit me by surprise, and I came hard into Jimin’s hand—another surprise. As the hot spasms calmed, my muscles began to deflate completely, and I slumped down hard into the welcoming softness of my bed.

I turned my face to the side to relax into my pillow—my heart still racing and deep breaths still huffing from my chest—and Jimin continued to stroke his tongue across my nape. It didn’t exactly feel good; the pain there was just an ache now, and each lick sent a small sting through my nerves. What felt good was the high I came down from, and the blissful post-sex exhaustion, during which my lover cared for me however I needed it. He didn’t seem to agree, however, that what he did was okay.

“I’m so sorry, Jungkook; I can’t believe… I can’t believe I bit you.” His voice was almost hysterical—it sounded ridiculous in my peaceful state of mind.

“Sorry? Jimin… I begged you to. Why would you… apologise?”

He was quiet for a while, and he moved to lie gently beside me. Meeting his gaze had a different effect to what I expected. Half of his face shone as though wet, and it took half a second to realise he was covered in my blood. I gulped hard as I looked in his brightly glowing eyes. What had I gotten myself into?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	32. Crossing the Border (cont)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi  
> (back to hogi yay)

~

Approaching the Vampires should have been less terrifying with backup, but it wasn’t. Youngjae was tense now, as was Seokjin, and they walked with their heavily-trained, leather-clad arms lingering solidly by their weapons. The walk seemed much longer than it was, and the sweat that trickled down my forehead was not only from exertion.

The plan we had discussed earlier was to go in quietly in a group, and be sure to show no threat. Youngjae growled that the Wolves had blown that plan, and now the Vampires would never believe we meant no harm. The plan now was simply to get out alive, and I liked the idea of that.

Youngjae didn’t lead us astray. Finally, through the thicket of pines and out-of-place underbrush, I saw the dark, almost abandoned-looking house. Mansion, maybe, would be a better word, except it didn’t look quite up to the name. We approached with caution, despite seeing no movement, and Yongguk farewelled his Wolf in its snow-white-furred form with a kiss on the head.

With the Wolves hanging back, we crashed through the decrepit front door and looked around. Inside was almost nothing. Broken-down furniture and debris littered the floor, or what I could see of it in the dark before three torches clicked on almost simultaneously. I was a little disheartened, if not relieved. The emptiness inside was comforting. A shattered staircase hung precariously from the second floor, and I couldn’t see much else.

A screeching of metal made me jump, and shit, I almost died. The torches were all pointed towards the sound, I realised, because Yongguk had found whatever they had been looking for. I wished someone had told me sooner that this wasn’t a dead end, and that they were simply searching for an entrance.

I could certainly have done without a cramped descent down a torch-lit, stone-walled, spiral staircase. Youngjae walked confidently in front, followed by Seokjin and myself, with Jongup and his charge behind so that Yongguk could bring up the rear. I didn’t feel safe, even wedged between all of these ‘protectors.’ Yooncheol, almost tip-toeing in an obviously nervous way, hardly made a sound, and I wondered if he was as terrified as I.

The door at the bottom looked bolted-shut, but Youngjae turned the handle and swung it open with ease. Inside, I finally saw what I expected. The entrance brought us into a massive front room with black marble floors and dark red accents of rugs and curtains. There was no sunlight, of course, and all light was supplied by masses of dark candles and huge, shimmering chandeliers. Two winding staircases flanked the hall opposite us, and a stunningly high mezzanine overlooked the room. More startling than any of that were the occupants.

A few lounged casually on furniture here and there (beautiful antiques in perfect condition, styled uniquely for the room), and more lingered by staircases or atop the overlook. I gulped as they turned interested gazes on us, dark, menacing eyes that looked misleadingly mortal. It was definitely an observing sort of glance, like a lion would glance upon an antelope, or maybe a rabbit. I did feel quite as a rabbit would, were it surrounded by lions.

I couldn’t believe for a moment that I’d let myself do this. Would Hoseok have let me come inside? Would he have even gone through with this plan? If my life ended because of my own foolishness, the only thing I would regret is not seeing Hoseok again. That thought alone made me feel stronger, if only for a moment, and I decided I might be able to last a few more minutes without passing out.

“Visitors?” came a terrifyingly authoritative voice from way above us. “Darling, come see; we have visitors!”

The excitement in his voice was chilling, to say the least. Youngjae led our procession, strolling into the room to stand right in the middle. I felt more and more like a gladiator in the coliseum, except I had no armor, and the combatants were immortal and drank human blood.

A tall, slim woman joined the Demon who had spoken on the mezzanine, and she linked her arms possessively around his bicep. She peered down at us with just a flash of interest. “Humans,” she turned to him and said quietly, a tiny smile on her black-painted lips.

“Indeed,” the Vampire grinned, but his teeth were deceivingly blunt and sapien.

“Yoo Youngjae.” His self-introduction was stern, just as authoritative, and unwavering. He didn’t sound particularly unpleasant, either, like I expected anyone frightened to sound. Maybe, I thought bravely, Youngjae wasn’t frightened. “I come with my acquaintances in the hope of seeking council.”

“Yoo Youngjae,” the Vampire repeated, testing the words gently. “A pretty name for a pretty face.”

If that had affected the Hunter, I didn’t notice. “Your name?”

“Kim Yukwon. I welcome you to our sanctuary, Demon Hunter. And your… acquaintances… of course.” His words were disturbingly slow in a way that made me feel like he was playing with us. It creeped me out.

“Most appreciated, Kim Yukwon. We’d like to know if there was a chance your lord could spare-”

Yukwon cut the Hunter off with his condescending tone. “Seeking council from a Vampire?” Silence hung heavy in the air for a moment, and it didn’t take a genius to see that Youngjae disliked being interrupted. “Whatever makes you think it wise, Yoo Youngjae?” Every time the Vampire spoke his name, it sounded more and more mysteriously affectionate. Almost grossly affectionate.

“It was not entirely my decision,” the Hunter sighed, attempting not to sound exasperated.

“Let me summon my Lady for you then, Demon Hunter. I’m sure she’d be eager to assist you.”

Youngjae’s shoulders set in a solid line, seeming to tense more and more the further we descended into their lair. It was too dark for me. Too creepy with the giant, ancient portraits along the hall’s blood-red wallpapered walls. Torches lit glowing patches that flickered and blinked as we passed. I gulped to clear a huge lump in my throat and heard Yooncheol do the same. I suddenly pitied him a little, knowing what it was like to be new to this world.

Seokjin, on my right, walked with his broad shoulders set stiffly as well, and a dark glare took in every detail around him. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like he was more angry than afraid. Maybe this was more like an inconvenience than a danger to him. It made me wonder briefly how experienced he was with danger. Yongguk, on my left, still walked with an unshakable swagger that disguised any terror he might feel, assuming he was worried at all. His stoic expression seemed entirely unaffected, and I was sure his confidence should have comforted me.

I didn’t notice when, but at some stage, Jongup’s hand had landed on my shoulder. He had a gentle touch, much like my own Angel, and I realised I must have subconsciously ignored the gesture as though it were Hoseok’s hand. This was no time to let my gut twist—there wasn’t much in my stomach this time, either.

Our guide pulled up at a set of intricately decorated wooden doors, gold paint highlighting the crimson filigree swirls. Inside was even more impressive. The room could have been an entire apartment of its own. We walked in on a balcony, overlooking a room like a library. It was cold inside, more so as we descended the stairs to the wooden floor. I wondered how far under the ground we were.

“My Lady,” Yukwon spoke finally, startling at least two of us. The silence had been filled only by footsteps and the flicker of flame.

From somewhere behind a large, double-sided bookcase, a deeper—male—voice spoke. “Goodness, you brought breakfast?”

I didn’t expect Yukwon’s face to change into a grimace. “My Prince...” His voice showed surprise and a hint of exasperation.

The Prince emerged into view, a large, teethy grin showing on his handsome face. Handsome but wildly terrifying, I added to my thoughts, since I knew just what he was, despite the lack of fangs. He stood tall, taller than Yongguk, and moved with the grace of a feline.

“Your mother, Jiseok,” Yukwon said in an almost patronising tone. Our guide looked younger than the Prince, but spoke as though he were older. “Our guests request her company.”

Prince Jiseok beamed, pacing almost as though to circle us. “And they brought snacks!”

I gulped.

“The Lady will make that decision, my Prince.”

Jiseok scoffed. “All right; she’s in the study. Your timing is immaculate, humans, for her mood is as foul as a rotting corpse.”

“One moment,” Yukwon said with a gesture to stay put, and I dreaded the idea of doing nothing in this horrifying place. We waited, huddled almost pathetically while the Vampire Prince stood watching us in just the way an amused predator would. An amused predator, I realised, he was. Seokjin’s back was to me, watching the entrance from which we came, and the other Hunters stood defensively in front. I felt boxed in beside Yooncheol—his Angel still comforting us with subtle contact—and it wasn’t a bad feeling at all.

Yukwon did not resurface for a little while, and whatever goading banter the Prince supplied, I didn’t listen. Letting my eyes wander cautiously, I admired the expanse of books, wondering just how much knowledge they held, entirely unreachable by humans. There weren’t just books on the walls, but higher up there were chains, dangling loosely, some with shackles at the ends. I felt something bubbling up inside me, like fear but less urgent, and suddenly Yooncheol’s hand latched onto my wrist. I jumped so suddenly that I had to choke down a scream, and it hit me that it might be his fear I was feeling.

“It worked!” shouted an ecstatic voice, and I whirled around to see Jongup slump to the floor with a thud.

“Hyung!” came a much less satisfied shout, and Yooncheol launched himself at his motionless guardian, only to be swept away by powerful hands. Suddenly, in a flurry of shouts and drawn weapons, a woman appeared, scarcely more aged than the youth around her. From behind her, Yukwon smirked down at the Angel. 

“Small,” she observed, “for an Angel.”

“What did you do to him?” Youngjae demanded, his voice betraying no emotion.

“Oh, nothing dangerous, boy. He’s simply unconscious. Despite this spectacular advance in technology, we have not yet discovered a method of harming the Angels.”

Her voice was icy, terrifying, and laced with boredom. Her expression was unmoving, steady, and confident, and her immaculate pose was certainly the most inhuman thing about her. She seemed not even to breathe.

“Do sheathe your weapons, children. You’re in my home.”

“You attacked my friend!” Yooncheol screamed, his voice and eyes wild, and I hated the way Jiseok held him, an iron grasp around his much weaker wrists and twisted painfully behind him.

“Your friend, dear pet, is the only being in the room capable of killing us all. We cannot take that risk. You wanted to talk, boy?”

The last sentence was directed at me, and I almost wet myself with those eyes in mine. Not a natural chocolate brown or dark, almost-black coffee: no mortal colour at all. Red as rubies, they were, just like the first Vampire eyes I ever saw, shining impossibly, beautifully.

“A bounty,” I said quickly, moving my eyes to Youngjae, who glanced at me briefly before he decided to lower his gun. Yongguk was a little hesitant, but followed suit, and Seokjin eventually pointed his gun away from Jiseok, but didn’t entirely relax. “We want to know about a bounty owing to L-Lilith…”

It didn’t sound real coming out of my mouth. It was almost like I wasn’t serious. Everything supernatural sounded so legitimate when Hoseok spoke about it, or Jimin… even the Hunters. I still sounded like I didn’t believe in it, when clearly I did.

“What is it you wish to know?” I was sure there was a hint of amusement in her voice then.

“The…” I swallowed, sweating. “The terms? Or… if there’s a way it can be paid besides a life.”

The amusement was clear after that. She almost smiled. “You intend to bargain with Lilith?”

The impulse to faint was almost impossible to control. Unlike anyone I’d ever met or seen, she was just scary. Scary in the unwavering confidence and authority she clearly had, on top of her obvious ability to kill me in a heartbeat. The inhuman flawlessness I was used to.

“Enough, Mother.” The Prince’s less intimidating tenor dragged my attention from the Lady. “Leave it any longer and he’ll soil himself.”

The silence that followed was as dark and cold as the room in which we stood. It lasted too long, tension thick between our parties. A glance between the Lady and the Prince was all it took for the Hunters to tell their intentions, and the room abruptly erupted with noise and action. I shied at the sound of gunshots, throwing me off balance for the split second before I was grabbed and held so roughly that I felt a bone in my shoulder pop.

Going by the pain in my throat, I must have screamed, but I didn’t hear myself at all. It didn’t hurt, for some reason—maybe shock—but terror quickly set in. There wasn’t blood when Yongguk’s bullets thudded solidly in Jiseok’s chest. There was a moment of surprise, his fanged snarl momentarily twisted into something less aggressive, and then his torso began to glow from the inside. Purple light burned its way out, melting flesh as gaping holes showed beneath tattered clothing. With a horrified, gargling shriek, his face twisted into agony and horror. I couldn’t look away as the Vampire Prince exploded into ash and gristle, his tortured look printed behind my eyelids. My captor shuddered violently for a moment before shoving me harshly. I didn’t see but rather heard him join Jiseok in the journey to smithereens. It must have been Yukwon, because he was then nowhere to be seen. Not that I saw much from where I’d stumbled and fallen against Seokjin’s legs. He reached down and gathered me up, holding me against his right side with his strong arm around me, his gun pointing bravely from that hand. It suddenly occurred to me that my shoulder was dislocated, because where he tugged panged with ripping pain.

“Stop!” shrieked the Lady Vampire, who I now saw was held at gunpoint by Youngjae and Yongguk, some painful contraption clasped around her neck. Seokjin whirled around, holding me close as he pointed the weapon up at the balcony. Three, maybe more, Vampires had burst into the room so quickly that I didn’t hear them come, but now stood frozen facing masks of fear at their Lady.

“We came to talk, your Highness,” Youngjae spat with all the feisty viciousness he had. “And we intend to get the answers we seek.”

“You came with Werewolves!” She shouted, exasperated but clearly afraid. “Why bring our sworn enemies if your intention is not to kill? We’re not stupid.”

Youngjae shot his tall companion a tiny glare, blaming the Wolf part entirely on him, but moved on quickly. “In your present situation, you’re in no place to argue,” he reasoned. Before he could go on, however, my eyes found Yooncheol.

I screamed. A couple of seconds passed—hoarse shrieks sounding too mortified and foreign to come from me—and then I passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Never in a thousand years would I have been able to imagine the sight of a real human friend of mine, their neck twisted in a dreadfully gruesome way, head half-torn from their body, completely lifeless and sprawled on the floor. I hadn’t woken until we’d left the Vampires’ domain entirely, and consciousness came crashing back to me as I was bundled against a strong chest. It took just seconds to realise, miserably, that it couldn’t be Hoseok—didn’t quite feel or smell right to be him, let alone make sense—and I shivered in pain and misery. I couldn’t possibly still have an injured shoulder, because it didn’t specifically ache, but I assumed I owed that to the Angel. Even tilting my head strained my muscles, but I could finally look up at the jawline of Jongup. My eyes adjusted and locked onto the wet streaks down his neck, and then it came back to me—all the horror—in a rush that had me struggling to be free before I puked all over him.

Jongup held me gently while I was sick, and all walking ceased for a few moments. Leaves crunched under someone’s boots, but I assumed they were simply shifting impatiently. A few mumbles came a moment later, but I didn’t listen.

Yooncheol was dead. Gone. Forever. I hadn’t lost anyone since my parents, and for some reason, despite hardly knowing him at all, the shock felt exactly the same. Bile burned its way out a second time, and my stomach clenched and twisted until I was shuddering. I relaxed, exhausted and mortified, into Jongup’s embrace when his power calmed and healed me. It couldn’t take away the pain of his loss—nothing could—but it settled me enough to drift off into sleep while he carried me the rest of the way.

The car in motion on the highway brought me back. When I awoke, Jungkook was holding me tightly, one hand wrapped around my wrist and one laced through my fingers. He was heavy on my shoulder, and his soft face rested on a wet patch on my jacket. I wished I could have been awake to comfort him, but it seemed he’d turned to me anyway. Jimin’s hand was on Jungkook’s thigh, but the Wolf’s head lolled gently to the side while he watched the trees pass in a blur. Youngjae drove too fast to be legal, but I didn’t feel unsafe.

In a nearby town, one we hadn’t passed through before, Youngjae led us on foot to a hotel. Feeling drowsy enough to do no more than sleep, I kicked off my shoes and viciously tore at my clothing until I was comfortable. Jungkook was crying again, being lowered adoringly onto a double bed by his Demon. I couldn’t stop my heart breaking for him. So much loss—I didn’t know if he could take any more. I wanted to comfort him too, but I could hardly concentrate on anything before falling face-down on a bed and into a deep, miserable sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up snuggled against Jungkook, warm and comforted by his closeness. Luckily, I wasn’t disillusioned into thinking he was Hoseok, but I simply couldn’t refuse the comfort that came with knowing he was safe and well. He’d lost a closer friend than I, but I took morbid gratification in knowing it wasn’t my only brother that I lost. Outwardly, I was sure I’d comfort him to the fullest. In my own mind, I allowed myself the relief.

When we had all awoken, for some reason before sunrise, Youngjae assured me we would take a rest day and could go back to sleep. “We killed so many of them,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I’ve no doubt we’ll be hunted.”

“Not that Vampires are much of a fight,” Seokjin added, and as soon as he spoke, I remembered his selfless actions the day before, helping me up despite it hindering him entirely. He met my eyes squarely for a moment, and then looked away carelessly. No matter how cold he wanted to seem, I planned to remind him and thank him.

“But their research has moved in leaps and bounds since the reports from when we were trained,” Youngjae countered. “They’ve been hit by our UV rounds now—don’t you think they’ll attempt to invent specific protection?”

Seokjin scoffed. “Like armour? Or an immunity?”

“Vampires research offence before defence,” Jongup suddenly added, though his gaze was at the floor by his feet. Slumped on a deep, leather couch, he looked as deflated and miserable as an orphaned puppy in the rain. My heart throbbed for him. He lost Yooncheol: his charge. The way Hoseok talked about me must resemble just how Jongup had felt as well, and the failure and agony on his face was easy to read. It made me wonder how Hoseok felt now, assuming he was well enough to think about me. 

“Speaking of Vampires,” the Angel mumbled—if an Angel could mumble—as he rolled his shining eyes up to meet mine. “Here’s one now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	33. Agathokakological

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok  
> (Title: lit. 'composing of both good and evil' from Greek.)

~

There’s but one way to keep track of time when you’re kept tethered in a dungeon to a French limestone wall. A window—maybe twice my hand span in size—allowed a roughly-rectangular splash of light into the dark, dank space. I didn’t think to count the days until too many passed to begin doing so. It can’t have been more than a week, I hoped. Suffocating, all-enveloping darkness wears thin.

The light traced a well-worn trajectory every day, disappearing almost completely with the moon’s rising. Its soft light touched the far wall as the sun’s had done. Sometimes a shadow would pass through the light’s path, and the flicker would startle me. I could feel the bird nearby when she flew past in the daytime, and all but hear her sporadic heartbeat. I could feel the bat as his fleshy wings helped him glide in the breeze. If anything, those moments were what reminded me I was still alive.

Too long had passed for soreness, or much feeling in my physical body at all. My spirit was entirely elsewhere. I longed for Yoongi in a painful and powerful way. The desperation to see his face, touch his skin, and hold him close was something I had thought Heaven’s mark had caused. With that gone, I still craved him. I had one small comfort, at least; I knew he was alive. Nothing was ever clearer to me than Yoongi’s pain, and I’d felt that a few times of late. I hated that I had to see a bright side to his distress. I was sure he had to be nearby to me, as my powers were so weakened. I’d felt other things as well, and it sent a wave of relief through me each time.

In all the time I hung motionless here, I thought about nothing more than my human. Such loneliness was entirely foreign to me. I’d never been completely alone in my life until now. Nor had I loved anyone this fiercely until Yoongi. If I was ever to be freed, I was sure I’d never be capable of letting him leave my side.

Sometime in the night, the harsh screeching of metal on stone rang through the enclosed space. The racket assaulted my unprepared ears from every angle as it rebounded off hard stone. So slow they were almost mocking, footsteps proceeded towards me in the darkness. Finally, I thought sombrely; something.

Jiho appeared in front of my light-patch, catching half of his face in its reflected rays. Deep red flickered in his eyes like fire: ferociously optimistic. It was a mercy to see someone after so long of nothingness, albeit a bittersweet one. The look on the Demon’s face was scornful. Simply for an excuse to exercise my voice, I tilted my head up and spoke.

“Does my helplessness amuse you?”

Jiho flashed a fanged grin. “Immensely.” For long enough to make me suddenly restless, he drew an arc around me with pacing as tedious as the sun’s quotidian path. His dark eyes appraised me, head to toes and back. “You look damn good for the pathetic position you’re in,” he goaded, and I wish I had the control to say I ignored him. As though my time in darkness had worn my conscience down, I didn’t feel the need to shrug it off. I felt the need to punch him square in his smug face.

“What do you want?” The question seemed more tedious now, since I knew why I was here, and why Yoongi was being hunted. Now, I only needed to know why he’d entered the dungeon, if not simply to mock me.

“Ahhh…” Jiho sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets with a shrug. I’d never seen such a human gesture from his kind; it was displacing. “World domination, maybe? Or at least… hmmm… total invulnerability to go with my immortality? Now where could I get such a rare and unlikely gift, I wonder?” I could tell from his mocking tone, straight away, that he might know something I was afraid of him knowing. The way he slunk closer made my skin crawl. World-walking Demons had a way of moving that defied basic physics—I could swear he was floating.

Jiho was suddenly very close, and those crimson eyes had a wildness I’d never seen anywhere else. His power frightened me, but his confidence was the greater threat. I knew I was incapacitated, even if I didn’t quite know how. I knew he was powerful, from the way his royal blood flashed in his eyes. I didn’t know, yet, exactly what he planned to do to me, or why on earth he looked so excited about it.

“Do you know how, Fallen?” he whispered, and his breath was warm and soft on my face. I felt his aura shift and build around us, his power swelling and gaining ground in the darkness. I felt completely inundated—not crushed or smothered by his influence, but surrounded by an energy that could only be anticipation; hope. Since being trapped here, I hadn’t been able to feel myself at all with his inhibition magic, whatever it was, but I didn’t know the extent of that. Not until he covered me in the all-enveloping air of his own powerful, foreign spirit.

Unlike what I expected, I felt completely alive. I felt his every sense, his every feeling. I felt like I could reach right inside him and see through his eyes. I didn’t feel weak. Weakness was blindness, and I was suddenly seeing in every colour of the spectrum. I still didn’t feel myself, as though nothing had changed, except everything had. What I had to do then was keep this discovery from him.

“I know,” I answered in the same quiet voice, hoping I didn’t give myself away.

Ripples of excitement trembled in his spirit, and I felt it to my core. “Please, Fallen, do share.”

“You’re suddenly asking so nicely,” I observed. “You need me to willingly tell you, don’t you?”

Jiho’s aura stirred. It was tainted, for a moment, with the frustration that he almost hid from his features. “I cannot simply drink your blood and find out, now, can I?”

I suddenly grinned despite myself. I hadn’t cracked a smile in too long for it to feel right, but it felt good. Of course he couldn’t drink my blood to see my memories. A Vampire ingesting Angel blood—fallen or not, I assumed—would turn him human, effectively making him mortal. He wouldn’t dare. In fact, I knew now why he had hardly injured me; if my blood were to so much as touch his lips, he could be in trouble.

“What a predicament, Prince Jiho!”

The confidence and amusement in my voice caused a tremor of impatience in the influential air around me. I couldn’t help but enjoy every movement his spirit made. It wasn’t mine, but I felt it. I hadn’t felt anything in much too long that I’d happily take anything I was given. I tried, then, to stir him up, if only to feel more, because it made me feel powerful.

“Whatever are you going to do with me when I don’t give you the answer?”

“Don’t push me,” he growled, all excitement replaced by anger. “I will destroy everything you care about, Angel. I’ll kill everyone close to your human. I’ll never let you see him again if you keep this from me.” More threatening than his voice or expression was the promise in his mind—he was not bluffing. I knew he was completely capable of killing, and there were many around Yoongi who would suffer. I had to come up with something.

“Do you think you can intimidate me? My human is surrounded by more powerful forces than you could ever summon.”

The grating of metal on stone startled me again. The darkness in Jiho’s aura didn’t change when he suddenly smirked at me. That was terrifying. I squinted as something round and heavy rolled awkwardly across the limestone floor. I almost gasped and recoiled when I recognised the shape of a human head. Jiho chuckled. I refused to look at it after that, until Jiho picked it up. Terror gripped me while I waited, because I knew somehow that Jiho hadn’t decapitated just anybody for my benefit.

Morbidly, he stroked his fingers through black hair before gripping tight and lifting it up. My eyes held his then, as confidently and furiously as I could.

“He used to be cute,” came the Vampire’s indifferent comment, and I felt my shoulders bunch in fear. The face, when he turned it to me, didn’t make sense. No, I thought. It can’t be. He’s just a boy. He’s unmarked.

“NO!” I screamed, suddenly uncaring if he saw me come undone. “How dare you!” And not only how dare he, but how did he? Jongup was even more powerful than myself. Confusion was not the most prominent emotion, however, as rage built up to an uncontainable level. I was sure I’d never even felt a human experience this kind of anger. Grief and horror clashed, and I hardly noticed the tears sliding down my face. I choked out a sob, but anger just kept building, until it was all I could feel.

I didn’t understand what happened for a moment, because something knocked Jiho away from me. Brightness flashed for an instant, and all I could hear after my own shout of fury was my heavy breathing. The Vampire groaned in the distance, but I couldn’t think to look for him. I looked around, looked at my hands and then my feet, and squinted at the metal door that was still ajar. There was nobody but him and myself.

“That’s not possible,” the Demon Prince growled from wherever in the darkness he’d landed.

Agonised, distraught, and terribly confused, I wondered… had that been… me?

~


	34. The Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

Here? Now? A Vampire? A shiver went though me, which intensified as the Hunters all lunged for a weapon. Jungkook’s hand closed on mine and squeezed. I whispered that it would be okay, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the door. Youngjae exchanged a serious glance with Seokjin before they opened the door, and the Demon that stood awkwardly in the hall looked hardly Demon at all.

“K-kim Himchan,” he half-mumbled. If he was a Vampire, I suddenly realised I’d never be able to look at someone on the street and know they’re mortal. He looked ordinary; dark chocolate eyes, casual clothing, sweeping brown bangs, and a tense posture that reeked of nervousness. Kim Himchan spared a glance at the hall as though he expected someone to appear. “A-and I’m just here to talk…” Facing us again, he finished: “sort of.”

A disarmed pistol landed on the bed by my feet, causing a rush of relief. If the Hunters were calm, I knew there was no reason to worry. The Hunters and Himchan exchanged few lines of dialogue before I came back to the present, focused and ready to listen. There was definitely no chance of getting back to sleep.

Himchan sat lightly on a chair at the hotel’s immaculate dining table. I couldn’t help but watch him and everything he did, less out of worry than simple curiosity. Hoseok had described Vampires as manipulative and cruel, and especially dangerous. None of those adjectives fit Himchan in the slightest. His dark eyes shifted uncomfortably from Hunter to Hunter, and landed for the longest on Jongup. The Angel hadn’t moved from his sad, slumped pose on the distant couch, but his head lolled back now, resting against plush leather. Clearly, he had no interest in the Vampire—at least not enough to alleviate his misery.

“So, Kim Himchan,” Youngjae said, pulling up a chair with its back to the Vampire and sitting to face him. “What is it you decided to come here to talk about?”

Himchan’s nostrils flared suddenly, and the surprise on his face as he leant away from the Hunter was fleeting, yet alarming. “You’re…” he began, but stopped himself. I had no idea what he had caught onto, but it made the Hunter glance at his hands and sigh.

“I am,” Youngjae confirmed, and met Himchan’s eyes. “So at least you can’t try anything on me.”

Jungkook and I exchanged a very confused glance.

“I wouldn’t. I don’t want anything from you,” Himchan assured. “I just… I saw what they did to your friend. What… we did. I’m so sorry.”

I felt my face show my sadness as it came back heavily. Jungkook’s hand tightened again, but I didn’t look to see his tears; I’d had enough of that.

Youngjae held the Vampire’s eyes. “Your apology doesn’t bring him back, Himchan, but thank you. But you didn’t come to apologise, did you?”

“Not… just.” The Demon’s eyes shifted to Jongup again, and I knew immediately that it wasn’t a coincidence. His eyes narrowed in a thoughtful expression before he turned back to Youngjae. “I came because I can’t live there anymore. I never wanted to be… to become what I am.”

Youngjae stopped Himchan with a subtle but abrupt shake of his head and a very serious look. “Not now,” he warned quietly, and then added “but stay with us. You could be of assistance.”

Himchan nodded, his eyes looking almost as sad as I was sure mine had. I didn’t understand exactly what was going on, so I planned to ask. Maybe later, because I got the feeling it had to do with Jongup, and Youngjae had stopped Himchan for the Angel’s sake.

So Himchan stayed, but he kept completely to himself. When I came out of the bathroom after my luxuriously long shower, Jungkook and the Hunters had left the room, and Jimin was crouched on the far bed, glaring distastefully at Himchan. The Vampire was the width of the entire hotel room away, but tension hung so thick between them that I wondered if the Angel was the only thing keeping them in line. Not that Himchan looked like the type to try anything other than escaping. It was Jimin’s fierce amber eyes and tensed muscles that worried me.

I tried to become invisible as I walked towards my bed to put my things down, and then crept even more carefully towards the leather couch. Jongup was lounged on his back by then, and he didn’t look the slightest bit less upset. It would have been shallow to expect him to, I supposed. The Angel stirred as I approached. He probably didn’t need to look at me to know who I was, but he met my eyes squarely for a second before he attempted a smile. I tried to summon one back, but I couldn’t.

“Sit,” he croaked. It made it worse that he could sound so broken. I replaced his legs as he moved to free one side of the couch. My damp hair left cold trails down my neck, but that didn’t displace me as much as sadness. It had always felt wrong being near an Angel who felt this way. Both Hoseok and Jongup seemed like eternally happy types; I’d never get used to their misery.

“Do you know where everyone went?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t insensitive.

“Just upstairs to talk with your brother,” Jongup explained, holding my eyes calmly. “As I understand it, he’s curious about something that nobody else here can accurately explain.”

“Of course he is,” I groaned, rubbing my temples. That child was going to be the death of me.

“What’s your next step?”

Jongup’s question caught me off guard. I didn’t think I was making the decisions, but technically, I was. The Hunters wouldn’t have gone to see the Vampires had I not demanded it. I put aside the fear that Jongup might blame me for Yooncheol’s death—he didn’t look particularly convicting.

“I haven’t thought about it,” I whispered. “I’m… scared.”

Jongup sighed and eventually nodded. “We’re all scared.”

From the dark, quiet corner I’d forgotten about, Himchan’s voice made us look up. “I might have information you can use, Min Yoongi-shi.” I swallowed hard, wanting to know what I should think of him. My instincts told me he was harmless—he looked so completely and utterly harmless—but everything I had been taught about Vampires was the opposite. Also, he knew my name. What he said made Jongup and I exchange glances. I noticed Jimin creep towards us, and hoped he was just curious.

“All help is welcome, Himchan,” Jongup said, and the Vampire physically flinched at the sound of his name. That seemed strange, on par with the strangeness he’d shown towards Jongup from the moment he arrived. Neither Jimin nor Jongup seemed out of the loop, however. I almost let a frown cover my face; being human was frustrating at the best of times.

I observed as Himchan lowered his eyes and kept them low. “I can tell you that your life is not in danger, Yoongi-shi.”

“Excuse me?” I half-mumbled, my eyelids fluttering with disbelief. Jongup and Jimin seemed just as confused, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the Vampire for long. “I’ve been attacked on several occasions.”

“Forgive my rudeness, but you’ve never been attacked. The Demons who approach you have only wanted to capture you.” Himchan did meet my eyes, but his gaze only strayed to the floor and back, and never to the eyes of my friends. “You’re wanted very much alive.”

I wanted fiercely to argue, but I had no choice but to believe him. I had indeed not been hurt at all, and even if the first Vampire I met had planned to bite me, there was no saying he planned to kill me. The Incubus had simply seduced me with the intention of taking me away. The swarm that attacked Jungkook had only hurt Jungkook. “That changes everything,” I whispered. Before thinking, I immediately turned to Jongup. “Why would they want to capture me?” With hardly a breath in between, I turned to the Vampire with the same question. “Why do they want to capture me?”

“Because you’re sacred,” he answered, almost slowly as though he thought I may not believe him. I wasn’t sure I could. “You must know why by now. If any Demon so much as intended to kill you, I can only assume they’d be smitten where they stand by a power none would dare mess with.”

I attempted an affirmation, but ended up squeaking softly instead.

"Sacred to Heaven, sure," Jimin piped up. "But how does that make him safe from Lilith?"

Himchan glanced at the Wolf. He wasn't comfortable doing so, but the conversation gave him something to cling to. "No matter how evil and defiant she thinks she is, she still would never defy such a direct protection order from..."

Jongup filled Himchan's hesitation. "The Maker."

The Vampire's eyes rested somewhere on my shirt. "Right."

I wished I had the courage to ask every question on my mind. Jimin was a Demon, technically, but he didn't cringe from Angels as though he couldn't bare his own sins around them. Himchan acted as though he'd done something too horrible to even be near the Angel. Or, I thought, maybe he planned to do something horrible, or ask for something Jongup wouldn't want to give. He'd said he didn't want to be a Vampire anymore, and maybe Jongup could change that. I suddenly felt like I was onto something.

Jimin sighed impatiently as though he could sense something in the silence that annoyed him. "So Lilith wants Yoongi alive. For what, exactly?"

"I'm not sure," Himchan mumbled, shaking his head.

Jimin rolled his eyes. "How'd you manage to get half the story?"

"Well, I haven't had a chance to chat with her about it," the Vampire sassed, which surprised all three of us. "I haven't even been... like this for very long."

Jongup intercepted. "Your information is very helpful, Himchan. Do you know at all what it might be the Fallen wants Yoongi for?"

Himchan shook his head, not as though he didn't know, but to correct Jongup. "It's not Lucifer who wants him; it's just Lilith."

"I'm lost," I put in, because all of these names and Demon terms were going in one ear and out the other.

Jongup enlightened me. "Lilith is the Demoness at Lucifer's right hand, in control of Demons. Lucifer, 'Satan' to you, I suppose, is Fallen. Once an Angel, like... Hoseok."

"Hoseok is..." I almost lost control of my voice. "Hoseok is like Lucifer?"

Jongup nodded, and let it sink in before turning away from me towards Himchan. I did what I did best and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. There would be another time for pondering this.

"Himchan, if Lucifer isn't interested in Yoongi, then... It's a Demon affair." Jonups brows creased in thought, and he slowly turned to me. "What... could she want you for?"

"I can't tell you that, because I don't know," the Vampire began, "but I only know we're not to kill you."

I jumped as the room door beeped, and Seokjin marched in followed by Jungkook and Youngjae. I went to my brother, the conversation all but forgotten.

"What on earth are you getting up to now?"

"Please let me explain before you freak out."

I felt the colour drain from my face. I could feel all eyes on us, but I couldn't look away from my brother. His shiny black hair was in his eyes now, and I found myself thinking he needed a haircut. I still managed to think these things about him while being terrified for what he was about to tell me. Even if I'd given him away to a Demon, I couldn't help but mother him.

"Now?" I heard Seokjin whisper behind us.

Jungkook swallowed hard and looked at the floor. "Hyung, I've made a decision about my life, and I want you to respect it.. Please."

I didn't need to know what he was going to say; I already agreed with Jimin when he leapt up groaning no. "You can't, baby, please," the Wolf begged, taking Jungkook's hands and holding on when my brother tried to tug away.

"This isn't your decision to make," Jungkook huffed. "Hyung, I'm going to become a Hunter."

Everything slowed down for a moment then. My eyes went wide while I realised what that meant. He didn't want to become a Wolf at all. "Thank god," I accidentally mumbled, and a moment later it hit me. A Hunter? I didn't know much about Hunters, but a few things seemed obvious; they were highly trained to take lives, and they spent their own lives in serious danger. "Wait, no. No, Jungkook."

"I'm not asking permission, Yoongi Hyung, I just want you to accept it."

Furious, helpless, I spun to face Youngjae. I didn't know him all that well, but I hoped I was right in assuming he wouldn't find this a good idea, either.

The smaller Hunter sighed. "Look, I want to tell you that he's being rash, and that it's too dangerous, but in truth, I'm all for it."

"What in hell are you thinking?" I half-shrieked.

Youngjae didn't even hesitate to answer. "He's young and ambitious, and we're currently knee-deep in Demons and therefore halfway up shit creek with just three Hunters on the case. One more, young, fit kid on our side with a gun in his hand gives us an advantage I dare not pass up."

Dread swirled inside me until my stomach churned with it. I felt like I was going to be sick. Sniffles made me turn back to glance at my brother. Jimin had his head curled under Jungkook's chin, and tears streaked his cheeks. If the Wolf was afraid, I knew it was as bad as I could possibly imagine.

"It's not right, Youngjae; he's still a child!" I begged. "What happens when this is over? Are you going to take him from me?"

"What if it never ends?" Jungkook suddenly added. I could hardly bear the honest determination in his eyes. "What if you're not completely safe for the rest of your life?" His fingers threaded through Jimin's hair, but the Wolf only buried deeper and turned away from us. "Hyung, what if I could help?"

"This isn't your fight, Jungkook. I wouldn't want to live in a world without you, and you know I'd blame myself if anything ever happened to you."

Jungkook closed his eyes as though he knew he was getting riled. "Stop acting like you can control me with guilt. My decision is made."

Honestly, it hadn't crossed my mind to guilt him, but I knew that's what it seemed like. Everything I said was the honest truth--I'd be so lost without my only family--but I also hated to hold him back. I'd never stopped him doing anything he really wanted to do before, so it seemed pointless to try and stop it now.

My heart felt heavier than ever. "Do what you have to." Saying anything else would only make us both feel worse. If I lost Jungkook while Hoseok was still... Missing... That literally left me with nobody.

But maybe that was for the best. My bounty caused a serious uproar wherever I went, and someone had died because of me already. If I had nobody to stay here for... I was better off letting them take me.

Jungkook didn't soften right away. He nodded shortly, holding my eyes. Only when I turned and left with clenched fists did he pay any attention to his Wolf.

Youngjae stopped me before I disappeared into the double bedroom with a hand on my shoulder. "Wait," he said gently, and I turned to meet his eyes. He really did look sympathetic. "I'm going to write a contract specifically for Jungkook, modified so that he doesn't swear himself to the order the way we did." He spoke softly, as though he hadn't discussed this with anyone else yet. "He's under eighteen, so I can put him on a sort of... commission-based contract. I don't want him to be a permanent field agent, because he'd never get to come home."

I wondered if 'thank you' would be enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did sleep some more after that, from around 9am until after midday. The afternoon was spent on the internet, because I needed to escape the reality of my life and live in social networks and video games for just a little while. Youngjae said to Jungkook that evening, over a room-service dinner, that he would begin training tomorrow. The Hunter wanted an entire week dedicated to testing him--eighteen-hour days and a strict, demanding schedule of work-outs and food restrictions--and after that he would make the final decision: you're in or you're out. I knew that Jungkook would never let himself fail.

My days were spent mostly in solitude. I wasn't ever really alone; Jongup didn't venture far from the hotel room, and if he did it wasn't for long. His sadness lifted a tiny bit every day, but I knew he wouldn't ever really be free of the kid's death. Because we aren't ever really free from our losses, are we?

The Vampire, as well, stayed almost exclusively in our room. Himchan mostly just observed, but sometimes he had useful information to offer. Sometimes he just disappeared into his corner and acted invisible. The only thing he never stopped was his totally awkward front around Jongup. I hadn't managed to uncover anything about that particular mystery, so I approached the Demon I was closest to when I ended up alone with him.

"Jimin-ah," I began, breaking the silence while we sat on adjacent beds. He often just sat there and fumed while Jungkook and Youngjae were training. I suppose he felt as worried and angry about it as I did.

"Hmm?"

I wondered when the Angel or Vampire would be back. Just in case it was soon, I made sure not to stall. "Do you know why Himchan is jumpy around Jongup?"

Jimin's lips twisted. The thoughtful expression was the only thing I'd seen on his face beside frustration in days. "I know that the Vamp was literally vibrating with pheromones the first time he was near Jongup Hyung. But there's something else, too. I'm pretty sure. Himchan needs Jongup to help him, but that would be a sin. Angels have pretty strict rules for stuff like that."

"Helping Himchan would be a sin? Because he's a Demon?"

Jimin shook his head. "Because he's a killer."

The widening of my eyes was probably almost comical. "Say what?"

"He's a Vampire, Hyung; he drinks blood for sustenance. He can't mark anyone because that's breaking the rules, so the easiest method of covering his tracks is just to kill his victims."

"No way," I scoffed. "He wouldn't get away with that. You can't just kill people all the time." Not only did I not believe it, but it freaked me out. Himchan literally seemed much too withdrawn to be anything but shy and gentle.

"It's not all the time. One adult would last him a month or so. As for getting away with it... Hyung, non-royal--and especially non-native--Vampires don't have any sort or registry or census to keep track of their population. There are no Vampire Police. Killing humans won't get them in trouble, because humans don't know they exist."

"That's really scary," I breathed. I didn't want to believe Demons just took and killed humans when they needed to. How had they not been found out? Was that what happened to every person who went missing and was never found? Is that the explanation for all of the unsolved murders?

"So Himchan wants something from Jongup, but he doesn't want to ask in case Jongup... says no? Or can't do it because it's a sin?"

Jimin nodded, his brows creased. "I think so. He might have asked under usual circumstances, but I think everyone is giving Jongup Hyung a little space right now."

Nodding, I replied. "Understandable."

The room door beeped then, making me jump. "It's the broody one," Jimin warned me, and for some reason I immediately knew he meant Seokjin. I grinned to myself.

Seokjin had long strides and a purposeful walk that got him wherever he needed to go in as little time as possible. All in tight leather that sat flatteringly on his broad shoulders and long thighs, he picked up and fondled a few of his weapons inside a black box. I watched semi-curiously, and wondered what he was doing. I didn't know if he was helping train Jungkook or doing something else.

"Park Jimin," the Hunter said without turning, and the Wolf sat up at attention. "I want you to ask your pack for a patrol tonight."

"Yes sir," Jimin said, his muscles tense and his pose inhuman, as usual for moments of discomfort. I hadn't heard him interact with the Hunters much, but he never dared act anything but formal and compliant.

"Thank you. The boy is doing well, by the way. It's day six, and he's already passed the scores for day seven."

I felt a thick lump in my throat stopping me form answering. Of course he had spectacular results; Jungkook had never settled for any less than his physical limits. He'd push himself until he keeled over if it meant he'd get what he wanted.

When neither Jimin nor I responded, Seokjin sighed and finished up whatever he was unpacking or changing. "It's not a nice process--the changing, and the killing--but Jungkook is very good at this. He'll thrive. I hope you don't let it bother you." Seokjin turned to face me as a pistol slid into its holster under his coat. After a moment, he met Jimin's eyes as well, and I knew the kind, hopeful words were directed at both of us.

Once he left, I felt like I could break down into tears and cry. For once, I didn't know whether to be proud or terrified.

On the seventh day, Youngjae came to me, laptop balanced on his arms and excitement shimmering just below the surface of his cool exterior. I panicked; I knew it was a big day for Jungkook, and there was almost no way in the world he’d failed their ‘test.’ Youngjae turned the screen to me, however, and the page on his laptop didn’t seem to have anything to do with Jungkook, Hunters, initiation, or anything except… Angels.

“What…” I began, and then leaned forwards to tip the screen back. I felt my brows crease as I squinted at the paragraphs.

…wings as black as night…

The Dragon… first true Fallen since Lucifer himself…

Immortal and dangerous…

With a racing heart, I shook my head and looked up at him. “Youngjae, please tell me what this means.”

The Hunter didn’t make me beg. “This might not sound very professional, but legend has it there have only been two fallen Angels to survive with immortality until now. They’re called Fallen, as you’ve probably heard.” He shook his head and put the laptop on the table so he could concentrate. “When Angels are cast from Heaven, they lose their access to the power that they’ve been trained to use. They become effectively mortal, so they’re weak and their lifespans are shortened. But, it has happened before that an Angel so powerful has fallen and not lost immortality. Lucifer was the first, and—I thought—the only. But these legends speak of another. They call him The Dragon, as far as I can translate, and sometimes The Second, for obvious reasons.”

“Is this Fallen… here?” I asked, it being my first question, but certainly not my only.

“On Earth? Yes.”

Relief washed over me, along with fear and excited tension. “Is there a way to find him?”

Youngjae stood a little straighter and smiled. “He’s already found.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the evening, everyone returned to the main room and gathered together for a meal. Jongup didn’t eat, and neither did Himchan, but they sat politely by the table and paid attention while Seokjin relayed the plans. I couldn’t stop fussing over Jungkook, but for some reason he let me. Even while we listened, I egged him to eat his vegetables and wiped food off his chin. He just pouted or looked at me cutely with his huge puppy-eyes. I hadn’t felt so close to him in months, but somehow, I knew I was so completely distant.

“The trip ahead of us will take us over the border into Canada,” Seokjin explained, a few maps spread in front of him, some printed, some taken from the hotel lobby, some roughly-drawn. “The Dragon is holed up deeper in the wilderness than any would bother going, and it won’t be an easy trip. Jongup-shi, are you able to cover our tracks from Demons?”

After a curt nod, the Angel sat up straighter. “Of course; wards are my specialty.” I watched him for a moment, and wondered why it might be that he was so intent on helping us even now.

“Thank you. Even with the packs on our side, we would suffer from an attack. Worse, a swarm of Demons could push the Fallen from his home. We don’t know if he’s partial to defending himself, or more likely to flee.”

“That’s why,” Youngjae began, “we’ll need just Yoongi, Jungkook, and Jongup to go the final stretch.”

The silence that followed proved I was justified in my horror. “You want us to go alone?” I half-squeaked.

“Hyung,” Jungkook said, and I turned to see that he wasn’t surprised at all. “If any Demons or Hunters get too close, he could leave.”

“We’ll have the packs helping us patrol a full circle around you—you’ll never be unprotected. We simply cannot risk going in with you. This could be our only chance.”

I hardened my shocked expression and stared right in the smaller Hunter’s eyes. “Then I’m going alone.”

Youngjae didn’t argue to begin with. He seemed to think hard about it. Without looking away from me, he sighed. “Your brother is well-equipped to handle himself and a few of our weapons. You don’t trust my judgement?”

“Not with my brother’s life, I’m afraid,” I replied, and Jungkook huffed. “Isn’t Jongup enough protection?”

Youngjae nodded. “I suppose, as long as Vampires do not slip past us. He’d be useless against them.”

“I know what I’m up against now,” Jongup combatted, his voice strong but still calm. “I won’t trust them to get close enough to affect me.”

“We don’t know the range of their weapon—don’t even know how it works. But if you’re comfortable escorting Yoongi alone, I won’t stop you.” Youngjae and Jongup seemed to seal a deal with just their eyes, and I felt a sort of responsibility lifted off my shoulders now that Jungkook wasn’t going to accompany us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We travelled together into Canada, just a few days on the road in a van and a car that—once again—seemed to come out of nowhere. Jongup was always in the van with myself, Jimin, and Jungkook, and Youngjae drove in silence. In the car, I assumed there was an eternal silence between Seokjin, Yongguk, and our Vampire acquaintance. I couldn’t imagine them chatting.

When prompted, Jimin gave us updates on the Wolves’ whereabouts. His pack stayed further ahead, running far enough ahead to sniff out any danger. Taehyung and his white-fur pack followed slightly behind and patrolled to the east and west. It felt so excessive, but I couldn’t help feeling completely safe. Himchan was right—I’d never been hurt.

We had just crossed the International Border when Jongup suddenly tensed and reached out instinctively to touch the dashboard.

Youngjae tensed as well, apparently wary of the obvious signs of distress. “What?”

Jongup’s reply sent a shiver down my spine. “Wraiths.”

Everything that happened after that seemed too fast—too sudden. Jongup disappeared out the van door—at full-speed on an open high-way—and Youngjae barked commands at Jungkook. I saw flashes of Jimin bristling as gradually more animalistic growls rumbled in his throat. In seconds, just Youngjae and I were left in the vehicle, and skidding sounds rang in my ears from outside.

“What’s happening?” I shouted over the cacophony outside from where I sat, I couldn’t see outside anywhere but the front, and I unbuckled myself to move to the side window.

“Sit down, you fool! I’m getting you out of here!”

At the window, I could see the car had stopped a while back, and our companions were in the thick of combat. Sparkling weapons flashed, and the piercing ring of gunshots sank bone-deep with every shot—I’d always been afraid of the sound. Jungkook was holding his own with an Uzi full of exploding rounds, and I gaped at what I realised was the enemy. Like black ghosts, they swarmed around the Hunters and my Demon friends like bees around a flower. No wings, hardly evidence of a human shape but for a head and torso, they fought with massive blades and dark, terrifying powers.

I couldn’t see well, especially when we got further away, but the lightning-like flashes must have come from Jongup, and I hoped they were effective attacks. I’d seen Hoseok fend off a Demon with little more than a few flicks of his wrist. One of Heaven’s Angels had to be more powerful.

“SIT DOWN, MIN YOONGI!” Youngjae roared, and I found myself scrabbling for my seat before even knew what happened. “I can’t THINK with you LINGERING at that WINDOW!” A voice like that was not made to come out of a person that small, but it effortlessly put me in my place. “Now! Buckle up and listen, god dammit! Wraiths are like the bloodhounds of Lilith. They’re given a soul-scent to track, and they chase it. They stopped back there, fighting with the others, which means they weren’t given your scent. That means we have to keep moving, and the others will catch up, okay?”

Panting in fear, I stumbled over how to ask: “b-but what if they… what happens if… b-but…”

“They have Jongup, Yoongi. The Angel will keep them safe.”

I prayed. It might have been the first time in my life that I did, but I prayed and prayed that no harm would come to anyone else because of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	35. Immortal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

Youngjae sat dead-still in the driver’s seat for a few hours in complete stony silence. I wasn’t going to be the one to break it. The wilderness of southern Canada was icy and mountainous where we navigated forest roads and trails. I thought I was going to freeze to death before we made it wherever we were going, if we didn’t get lost first. Before leaving the vehicle, the Hunter pulled another coat from a trunk behind his seat, then pulled it over his clothes before finally getting out and slamming the driver’s door shut behind him.

A few moments of confusion later, he opened the back door and beckoned with his head to get out, and relief rushed over me when I saw a little, cosy-looking cabin close by.

“Head inside,” Youngjae said as I climbed out of the back, looking desperately at the promise of warmth and a grounded seat to relax in. “Start a fire. I’ll be in soon. And don’t come out again, okay? Jin says the Angel will be here soon, the rest stopped at a hotel to regroup—no casualties.”

Relieved and grateful, I rushed inside then, following his instructions quickly and then plonking myself down in front of the small fireplace as the kindling slowly spread fire over the larger logs. The cabin was bigger inside than it looked from the outside, which I figured would come in handy when everyone arrived. I didn’t exactly feel like snuggling up with anyone at the moment, and the comfort the fire gave calmed me to the point where, in combination with the day’s stress and the week’s lack of sleep, I ended up crashing right there on the red, fluffy floor-rug.

I don’t know how long I slept, but thankfully felt refreshed when I woke. The first thing I noticed was a presence near me, and blinked as I looked around. First, I spotted the Angel. Jongup smiled at me, and I could have been wrong, but it looked less depressed than I remembered. My mouth moved to smile back, but I needed to rub my eyes before I could do any more than that.

“Feeling rested?” he asked softly, his eyes moving to his hands, the fire, and then back to me.

“A little, yeah… Is there a plan?”

Jongup nodded and stood to go to the little kitchenette on the other side of the cabin. From a mini-fridge, he grabbed a bottle of water for me, then sat on a small sofa by my side. “There is. And it looks like it’ll be just you and me going in there, like you wanted.”

I frowned for a moment, after rubbing my eyes. “I thought we already discussed that?”

“We did,” Jongup confirmed, and he looked down at his hands while he explained. “But Youngjae was going to send your brother in anyway.”

My brows knitted at that, and I reached for my phone in my pocket, but I stopped short of checking it just yet. “So what changed his mind? An empathetic change of heart?”

The Angel didn’t respond to my sarcasm. “He’s not Human anymore.”

My heart clenched so suddenly that my hand flew up to my chest, shock all over my face. “e-excuse… excuse me?”

“He’s been initiated, and he’s perfectly okay, so don’t worry.”

No matter how reassuring his words were meant to be, I couldn’t push down the panic. “Already? They just did it while I wasn’t there? What the fuck?!”

“There was no better time, Yoongi; the Demon needed to be killed anyway for putting human lives in danger, and it was a perfectly safe and reasonable time for Jungkook to take the oath and kill it himself.”

“He killed it—!! What the fuck!” My tone peaked and tipped into falsetto at the curse, making me clear my throat and sit up suddenly, slamming my hands down in a tantrum-esque moment of disbelief and fear. Jongup was looking at me as though I was being completely irrational, but he made it look like he was amused as well, his brow arching on one side. At that, I sighed and closed my eyes, taking a moment to recollect. “Can’t you see why this is upsetting for me?”

“Your brother is safe, healthy, and happy, and he’s not in harm’s way. You should be anything but upset, and you should definitely be thinking about what we’re about to do, not what has already been done.”

Damn Angels. Damn them and their level heads and flawless logic. It made me think about Hoseok, and apparently Jongup noticed the tremor of agony that wrought upon me.

“Hey,” the Spirit cooed at me, and I looked up at him, hoping I could hide the devastation from my expression. “Let’s get to this Fallen and find out if he can help us. Who knows—there may be absolutely nothing to worry about.”

I sigh and look down again, feeling my cheeks colour with embarrassment at how he can tell exactly what I’m feeling just by being in the same room as me. With that thought, I got an idea, and the way his expression changed when I looked back up at him showed he noticed that, too.

“What is it?”

“You… you know…” My mind wandered back to the few times Hoseok had given me a glimpse of his world, and it made me more determined to find out more. “…that thing where you can… I guess feel what I’m feeling.” Jongup nodded encouragingly with his eyes sternly on me, and I took a deep breath. “Hoseok… a few times, he helped me do that, too.”

With that, Jongup’s head tilted a little and he nodded. “You’re bonded; it’s not unheard of. Why?”

“I… just wanted to ask if you think you could… help me with that as well…?”  
The Angel seemed to seriously not expect that, and it took him a few moments to answer. “What would you like me to do?”

“Let me train with you, just… for a little while. I could feel him sometimes when we were close, and now he’s too far away, and he could always feel me even when I was far away, but what if… what if I’m just not good enough at it yet?”

Jongup nodded and sat with his eyes on me for a little while longer. “I’ll help you, if you like. But can we visit The Dragon first? Maybe he can help more than I can.”

With that, I nodded gratefully and took a huge mouthful of water, excited and fearful of what this Fallen Angel was going to say… that’s if we even found him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jongup didn’t give me a single second to doubt we could possibly miss ‘The Dragon’ as we trekked east through snow and ice. I didn’t think I was dressed for this kind of weather until we’d been walking for three hours. By then, I was too warm to even wear my coat. Jongup walked less than an arm’s distance from me now, due to my incapability of staying upright while walking on sleet. About the eighth time I almost went ass-up, he grabbed tight onto my bicep and held me vertical and started talking as though nothing was happening.

“We’re close…”

Unlike myself, the Angel wasn’t at all concerned with being warm enough, and wore just a pair of straight jeans. Every time he got close enough to me, I’d practically feel the downy softness and unreal warmth of his stark white wings against my skin. I wouldn’t have admitted in a million years how much I wanted to touch them.

“Thanks,” I mumbled for the eighth time. “And you’ve said. You also said ‘he knows we’re coming,’ among other sinister claims. How far away is ‘close’ exactly? Because these aren’t my hiking shoes—” He cut me off with nothing more than a look, and then beckoned with his head towards a nondescript, two-storey, log cabin standing on the opposite bank of a running stream. After a moment of staring, I glanced back at my guide, and nodded once. “So, pretty close.”

Jongup patted my shoulder then before he began the decent to the edge of the stream. It looked like I wouldn’t be able to cross without getting my feet wet, and considering it was cool enough for the half-submerged rocks to remain icy, I began to dread that thought. I didn’t have to dread it for long, however, when the Angel noticed, and almost before I realised what he was doing, he had effortlessly carried me across to the other side with just one beat of his wings. Once on my feet again, I took a second to steady myself, and then followed him towards the house.

Walking a few steps behind Jongup, I easily noticed that his wings were raised a little more now than before, seeming to sit less than comfortably arched above their usual place. Like an alert cat, he carefully selected each footstep before he took it. I wasn’t as worried about meeting a Spirit who was supposed to assist us until I watched the Angel’s tense movements, approaching the door as though prepared for a fight.

Jongup spared me a glance as we reached the front entrance before knocking twice on the solid wooden door. I didn’t even have time to persuade my legs to stop shaking before there was a clink and jingle of metal on the other side, leading to the door swinging open casually. The figure inside was similarly dressed as Jongup, with loose trousers sitting neatly at his waist and a totally bare torso. There was a curious though far from hostile expression on the stranger’s face, and his posture relaxed a little as he took us both in, though that almost seemed as though it was for display. The most obvious thing about the man was that he seemed entirely ordinary.

“Gentlemen,” he spoke, a deep voice and polite tone greeting us. “How can I help you?”

Jongup straightened himself impossibly more and left no time for me to answer, were I ever to consider it. “I am Moon Jongup, and this is my friend Min Yoongi. We’d like a moment of your time, if you’ve some to spare. We have a friend in need, you see.”

The man shifted his weight and stepped back, the door still in his hand opening up to welcome us in, and Jongup’s shoulders suddenly relaxed, letting his wings fold comfortably in place again. I didn’t ask what that was about, though it occupied my mind as I walked inside behind the Angel.

The stranger closed and locked the wooden door behind me with more clinking of metal, and Jongup lost himself browsing the main entrance of the warm and welcoming home which we had entered. It didn’t look at all out of place out here, with a few animal-skin rugs arranged tastefully around natural-wood furniture and a large staircase directly opposite the front door. However shrouded in the snowy forest, there was plenty of light coming in through the windows on the second story, and a few extravagant chandeliers dangled gracefully from the lower parts of the ceiling to make up for areas the sunlight missed. It had a rich yet humble grace about it which spoke volumes about his style, if it were he who chose the décor.

I had hardly given the front room a look-over before another man appeared at the top of the steps, and after looking down at us ‘guests’ with surprise, a delighted smile graced his boy-like features.

“Visitors, honey?” The newer stranger asked, and I glanced back at the first, though now there was something altogether different about him, and it sent a thrill from the base of my spine to the very tips of my fingers. Wings. Massive black wings with sharp, curving horns at their last joint, sitting so large and menacing on his back that they rested higher than his head. They must have been twice the size of Hoseok’s. Hoseok…

That emotional surge I felt every time I thought about him seemed to put me right in the spotlight. Every pair of eyes fell on me, even those I still suspected to be human, and I dropped my gaze to the hardwood floor.

“Your Bonded is in danger, boy?” the Fallen asked me. It didn’t take that much to guess how he came to that conclusion. Any powerful Spirit can tell I’m bonded, can most likely tell it’s to an Angel, and he’s been informed we’re here to help a friend. I couldn’t do a thing more than nod, and I was grateful for Jongup’s intervention.

“It’s a young Angel, my age, Jung Hoseok is his name. He’s Fallen now, like yourself. But he’s been kidnapped.”

The Fallen looked between me and the other human, and then sighed. “First, let us be formally introduced, now that you're in my home.” His hand outstretched towards myself, and I shook it lightly, watching when the Angels exchanged a similar greeting immediately after. “Kim Namjoon. My partner here is Donghyuk.”  
A smaller hand was thrust in front of me then, and I shook with Donghyuk as well, smiling a little at his cheerful demeanour. “Hello, fellow immortal!”

At that, I'm sure my face showed almost as much confusion as I felt. I glanced over at Jongup as our shaking hands parted, and the Angel moved his eyes to Namjoon. At that, the Fallen sighed again, and then turned to walk through an elaborate archway.

The forever-smiling Donghyuk led my confused self with a hand on my back, behind the Spirits into a lavish sitting room. Everything in here looked like an antique, from the matching olive-coloured Victorian furniture to the moss-green rug that covered every inch of the floor besides the fireplace. I sat with the Fallen's cheery partner on a loveseat adjacent to where the Angels sat, and Namjoon immediately reclined, crossing his legs and placing both hands on top of his knee.

“Min Yoongi, is it?”

I nodded gently, looking at him and his dazzlingly dark wings with awe.

“You weren't aware of your immortality, am I correct?”

Squinting a little at him now, I shook my head and turned to Jongup for a moment. “N-no... What are you talking about?”

“This Angel of yours, Hoseok. I'm not surprised he didn't know. One chosen by an Angel cannot lose his life while the Spirit himself lives.”

That didn't settle in right away. In fact, I was interrupted in the process of coming to terms with it when Donghyuk patted my leg suddenly, a totally excited look on his features. “See? You're the first immortal I've met... When did you bond?”

I cleared my throat then, feeling fire begin to burn in my cheeks. To me, that question was something entirely different. “U-uh... Not that long ago...”

“Give him a moment, love,” Namjoon said softly, and his voice was reminiscent of years and years of affection. “What is it that happened to Hoseok, my dear boy?”

“Vampires,” I whispered before I could think to stop myself.

Donghyuk leant back from me then, his hands still on my thigh, though he suddenly began to pat my knee, making a concerned face. “Gosh, that's awful... What could they want with him?”

I glanced at Jongup then, but kept explaining anyway, since this was much more my problem than his. “They don't want him, they want me.”

At that, Namjoon shifted as though uncomfortable. “Whatever for?”

I raised my hands in a helpless gesture, trying to keep a miserable pout from my lips. “It's apparently... an order from... Lilith?”

Jongup nodded slightly then, looking at me and then the Fallen beside him. “We have a friendly Vampire in our midst who tells us there's a lingering family bounty on Yoongi's head. The Demoness wants Yoongi alive.”

While Donghyuk gave a questioning look that I assumed was about the 'friendly Vampire,' Namjoon nodded, deep in thought. “How is it that your Fallen was captured in the first place? I've not yet faced a Vampire I couldn't practically immobilise with little more than a scowl.”

Jongup leapt to defend himself then, having been victim of whatever weapon they posess. “I can't tell you exactly what it is they have, but there's a coven that have discovered a way to totally immobilise us. I was not at all harmed, but made totally useless...”

Namjoon suddenly sat back, his expression becoming a little dark. He was quiet for a few moments, and even Donghyuk watched him curiously. His ebony wings unfolded a little while he got comfortable, and a sudden nausea made my mouth go dry.

“You worry for him, boy.” Namjoon's voice startled me slightly, and I felt my brows pinch up as sadness overcame me.

“I'm scared...”

The Fallen nodded, thinking hard now. “What the Vampires have is a device of paralysis.” Jongup sprung to attention at that, and we realised all at once that Namjoon could give us answers. “There are Demons so dark that even Angels dare not face them. Demons from other worlds to which we've no access, and for good reason. World-walkers such as Vampires are free to explore such realms; however, any with a shred of self-respect would likely rather live.

“It's been known to happen that Demons have ventured into other worlds in search of power. Weapons, magics, privileges they've no right to. We're the elite in this realm, you and I Moon Jongup; the best it has to offer. That's why we're the protectors, and the servants of the Maker himself. Once outside this realm... the rules are very different.”

Another terrifying speech that sounded morbid and fanciful, but one I believed immediately. If I wasn't feeling sick before, I sure was then, and apparently there was a moment of communication between partners that I missed, telling Donghyuk to take me outside.

Once my shoes crushed on icy snow and my lungs filled with chilly air, I felt dramatically better. Though still gasping a little to push back a panic attack, I managed to think clearly. The human beside me rubbed comfort between my shoulder blades, and I glanced up to see his pouting face and red cheeks, peering at me with worry. I nodded a little, trying a smile, and then bent over, holding myself up with my hands on my knees.

“I suppose you know by now that there's no way in hell you'll ever discover everything there is to know. It just... quadruples the possibilities. What doesn't exist, if all this does, right?”

I stood up again and faced him, listening curiously.

“That's how it is for a long time. It feels like a dream and a nightmare all at once. But that's the way it is. A blessing and a curse. But it gets better. You learn to trust your friends and allies, and you'll find that Spirits and even the friendlier Demons can be more loyal and loving than even Humans. I hope that gives you some comfort.”

I nodded a little then, and stuffed my hands in my pockets for warmth. “It does, Donghyuk-shi... Thank you.”

He smiled then, a slightly crooked expression with plenty of heart, and patted my shoulder. “We'll rescue your winged knight. Trust me, Namjoon acts pretty humble, but he's a born hero.”

With reassurance like that, it didn't seem quite so bad anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	36. Just Like The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yongguk  
> (... *inserts this here* ... *can't remember where it goes*)

~

“It’s still early, go back to sleep,” Youngjae mumbled at the humans when they roused looking ruffled. “We’ll take the day off; just today. We killed so many of them. No doubt we’ll be hunted.”

I felt the hairs on my arms stand up. Youngjae hadn’t revealed that plan to Jin and me until then, and the excitement hit me full force. Jin spoke next, but I hardly listened, so determined to find a way of contacting Junhong. A day off… I could find him and bring him here!

The Angel in our company spoke at some point, and his voice brought me back to the conversation. I didn’t expect him to speak; losing his charge must have taken one hell of a toll on him. Angels didn’t often ‘fail,’ as they say, and I knew I couldn’t even pretend to empathise. The love he had held for that boy didn’t disappear when he died, and I knew he’d be grieving for some time.

I tuned in after something about weapons, and then the angel said: “speaking of Vampires, here’s one now.”

That was my cue to find my gun. Not strapped to me as it would have been in the field, the pistol hung in its holster on the other side of the room. There was an ominous knock at the door before I reached my weapon. Inside, everyone froze except me: the only one who hadn’t equipped their gun. Youngjae went to the door, gently easing a UV round into his revolver and lining it up with an almost inaudible click. Jin stood beside the door, ready to protect Youngjae, should the Vampire attack. The Angel, unlike ourselves and the other boys, was not tense at all.

As my comrades opened the door, my stomach clenched, prepared for a burst of combat—gunshots, screaming and such—but none commenced. The Demon was nothing if not timid. Smallish in the shoulders, enhanced by his passive pose, and as tall and slim as expected from his race. As chiselled and handsome in the face, as well, which was not at all hindered by his look of fear.

He forced himself to speak first, large eyes bugging slightly as though he were threatened. “K-kim Himchan,” he quietly introduced before turning over his shoulder like someone could be following him. “A-and I’m just here to talk… sort of.”

The silence that followed was broken by the clicks of dechambered rounds, and Youngjae’s revolver thumped onto the closest bed. Jin and I followed his lead, lowering our weapons.

“Sort of?” Jin asked first, always the aggressive interrogator.

“Come inside first, Kim Himchan,” Youngjae offered, and the Vampire tiptoed though the doorway like a cautious cat. Catlike, Himchan showed he obviously was. The way he sat, his guarded eyes, and the twitches in his movements whenever anything alarmed him—the Vampire was as animal as the Werewolf on the other bed.

As interested as I was in what he had to say, I knew my partners would be able to give me the full run down.

Slipping away from Youngjae was impossible, so I made sure to get a nod of approval before I left. Outside, I couldn’t help but break into a run. Dawn had not yet broken, leaving icy roads to slow my progression towards the forest. Luckily, it wasn’t far at all, and before I even reached the trees, my gaze locked onto a blur of white.

Junhong often surprised me with his keen senses. He’d obviously smelt me from a mile away, and met me just past the first row of trees. The first thing I did was spread my arms, expecting another flying hug, but the Lupe didn’t shift, and Junhong threw himself against me with his paws over my shoulders. I stepped back, flailing, and almost tripped on a fallen branch.

“Yah, what’s with the fur, puppy-dog?” I teased, though I felt more alarmed than I was willing to admit. Junhong’s Lupe head was bigger than mine, and a warm tongue lapped at my cheek and jaw. “Not the kisses I expected…”

My hands finally came to his face, hesitant but rather enthralled. He was such a pretty wolf, perfect blue eyes dazzling in the moonlight and pinning my gaze with their intelligence. Blue, I mused, thinking the gentle colour suited his soft, sweet soul. I rubbed his ears and smiled, and then stroked down his thick coat to pat his back. “Wahh, you’re so cute Junhong-ah.”

The Wolf suddenly pulled away from me then, and his tail wagged slightly before he turned and trotted away. “Yah, where are you going?”

Junhong wasn’t easy to follow in this forest. Unlike the woods of his home, the pines here were densely packed, and the ground was overrun by underbrush. I had to keep a close eye while he darted around large trees and dipped under low bushes.

Eventually, the crunching of leaf litter under his feet came to a stop, and I crashed through the flora to a spectacular vista. Junhong was crouched below a broken spruce trunk, snapped from its stump, overgrown by bushes and vines, and creating a tiny cave. I stilled when I followed his fierce gaze and alert ears, pointed at the other side of a rushing river. On the bank, head bent with its lips to the water, was a white horse. No, I thought, shaking my head with wonder, a white unicorn.

The animal—or was it a spirit—didn’t seem to notice us, just twenty metres away. The crackle of fallen twigs beside me made me look at the Wolf, but he’d changed into his Sub.

“It’s a sign, Yongguk Hyung.”

His whisper made me glance at the beast. It pawed the pebbles by the river with cloven hooves and nuzzled at the flow.

“A sign of what?”

Unicorns, to my knowledge, existed on other planes. I hadn’t expected to ever see one.

“This one… Death.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “What? I thought unicorns were… were a sign of… purity! Or something…”

“They are. She’s come to warn us so we try to prevent it. Well… that is if those involved want to prevent it.”

“Prevent a death? You mean it… she knows there will be death? Intentional killing? Because I could have told you that. In fact, just yesterday—”

“I know about the human, Hyung… She does too. She’s come in the hope that we will not kill another.”

“Junhong, we didn’t kill him—”

“We, Yongguk, meaning the Demons. She does not come from Heaven, but from her own world closer to ours, and she knows about the calamity we’re causing here.”

I found myself breathing heavily, my heart racing as I tried to keep up with his words. This was unlike the Junhong I knew. “Have you… spoken to her?”

The Wolf smiled, albeit small and unhappily. “She doesn’t speak, Hyung, but I hear her.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted Junhong to tell me any more. I hadn’t felt this bad about killing since my first few times. The Vampires I’d put bullets in just a day ago were actually living beings, however destructive and vile. They would be mourned. My shoulders sagged while I watched the horse-like beast sniff the air, turn her head to watch the trees, and trot up the river bank to find grazing. The horn on her forehead, surrounded by waves of smooth-white mane, was twisted with the slightest hints of gold and silver in its ivory surface. It glittered in the first hints of sunlight. Her warm breath streamed as vapour from her velvety muzzle and spiralled away into the cool morning. Dawn finally peeked through the trees just moments later, and Junhong pressed closer to me, fingers finding mine.

“She’s so wonderful, Hyung… Can we stop killing?” She definitely seemed peaceful. Glancing down into Junhong’s eyes, so innocent and bright, I wondered if there really was a way to go on without any more killing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before then, I wouldn’t have thought it so easy to spend time in such a wild, inhospitable forest. I wouldn’t have seen any attraction to all the rough terrain and injurious nature. As the sun rose and blanketed the winter morning in forgiving warmth, I plodded through the underbrush behind a cheerful Lupe, and found myself actually enjoying it. Pines bathed the forest in a sharp, fresh smell, their needles crushing under my boots.

Junhong’s tail wagged behind him, swaying with his narrow, athletic hips. I didn’t have a mortal beast to compare him to, but I could have sworn he was much larger than a normal wolf. The largest domestic dog I’d ever seen had reached my hip, but this Lupe, with his head high, could have nuzzled almost as high as my chest. On his back legs, he’d already proven he could well and truly raise his head higher than mine. It made sense—the boy was as tall.

Junhong stopped after a long walk, sniffed the sky for a moment, and then turned back to me, ears high and inquisitive eyes blinking just once. I had fallen in love with that face as much as the Human’s. So full of playfulness, so bright with wonder and mischief, so wild, the Lupe was clearly a very free spirit. He belonged out here in a forest, hunting, playing, living the pack life. I sighed, my expression turning almost sad, as I realised I might be taking him away from this.

The Lupe’s massive head nuzzled gently against my leg, and his muzzle pressed into my hand. Despite knowing he was perfectly capable of being Human, I couldn’t help but pat him. My fingers disappeared in angel-soft white fur, and his deep blue eyes closed in bliss.

“I’m in love with you, Junhong-ah,” I confessed, gently caressing his soft ears. “I hope that’s enough.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dressed in my jacket and the only jeans he’d managed to bring, Junhong ventured with me into the town to eat. It wasn’t difficult to blend in here. Something of a farmer town, it didn’t have a noticeable dress code. Junhong didn’t receive a single double-take for his lack of shoes. He happily ate at a diner with me, chatting sweetly about his adventures over the last couple of days. His encounters with the ‘rival’ pack were anything but unpleasant; he made friends with many of them.

I’d seen the pack a few times—the fighters, anyway. The totally-black wolves were bigger than Junhong’s pale-furred pack, some taller but most just larger, more muscled, broader in the shoulders and waists. I wondered if they had the advantage in a fight. I was glad the packs got along.

“The Alpha is really young—younger than Daehyun Hyung I think. And he has a personal vendetta against the Vampires. He wishes he got to tear some apart…” Junhong trailed off then, and filled the silence by finishing his meal. “But Sahyuk and Dongsung were really nice to me. We travelled together and they shared their kill with me before we parted ways for the night.”

I listened intently while he relayed the events to me with such intent to enlighten me. I didn’t know if it was an attempt to deepen my trust in them or simply happy banter, but I didn’t mind. He told me about more of Shin Jiho’s Wolves: Sangwon, Sanggyun, and Sangdo, an apparently inseparable trio whose names made him laugh to say all together. Hyunho, who kept to himself but always helped lick the wounds of those in need. Taeyang, who loved to play pranks and mess around. Junhong reminisced like they were his best friends in the world. Like he wasn’t a young, novice fighter in a rival Demon wolfpack. Like we weren’t in danger of fatal attacks at any time. Like, worst of all, I wasn’t trained to mistrust and easily assassinate his kind. He must know that I’d had to kill a Werewolf to become what I was. If it bothered him, he hid it well.

A few more hours passed before I was contacted by Youngjae. With enough of a teasing tone to portray a good mood, he scolded me for ditching my mission to be with the Wolf and requested I return. However reluctantly, he added that Junhong was welcome to accompany me. The hotel room wasn’t small, but I paid for another anyway. Junhong excused himself to bathe almost as soon as we arrived, pausing only for a second to kiss my fingers and beam at me. Breathlessly, I warned him that my comrades would be in this room when he finished, but I didn’t doubt he would surface naked or close to it, anyway.

When Youngjae came to my upstairs room, he had with him Seokjin and Jungkook. The boy looked inquisitive but otherwise calm. Dark circles and the memory of tears surrounded his eyes, but he’d gathered his wits. His black hair was cared for—styled, almost—and he’d dressed in fresh clothes. Curiously peeking below the surface, I noticed that he was shimmering with curiosity, almost overflowing with the lust for knowledge. Clearly, Youngjae had brought the boy here to tell him something, and he knew it.

“Yongguk,” Youngjae said, nodding his head a little in greeting, masking a grin about my Werewolf company with a façade of indifference. “Young Jeon Jungkook has some questions for us.”

“Indeed?” I inquired gently, seating myself on the edge of a firm queen bed dressed all in white. Seokjin stood against the wall by the entrance, arms crossed and eyes hard. Mysterious and brooding, as usual these days.

“That’s right,” the boy said, moving a little further into the room at Youngjae’s silent invitation to take a seat at the dining table. “I’ve… I’ve been around a lot of attacks and pain and death recently, and… It’s… It’s horrible. People I love have been hurt, or k—killed, and I’m sick of having to hide from it. My only family is in danger, and I’m in danger.”

With every passing second, I got more and more sure of where this morbid monologue was going. Jungkook looked much less serious and confident than when he’d come in. His hands and lip trembled, and Youngjae moved to stroke his hand over the boy’s hair. It would have been too forward for anyone but Youngjae. Despite his strictly logical approach to problems and work and his fiery passion for protecting his pride, he had the biggest heart in the world. I wasn’t the only grown man to have cried on his shoulder and not be made to feel ashamed.

“This is a dangerous world for a human, Jungkook-shi,” Youngjae cooed. His voice even calmed me. “I’m sorry we can’t save everyone.”

“But…” Jungkook began, seeming tense, worried, and excited all at the same time. He stumbled over his words as though attempting to get them all out at once. “I want you to tell me how to become a Hunter so I can help Hyung and never have to be scared again.”

The silence that followed was so absolute that we could hear Junhong humming gleefully amongst the spray of the shower. Seokjin shifted against the wall—transferring his weight from his right foot to his left—and Youngjae sighed heavily, dropping his hand to the boy’s shoulder. He moved around to face him, standing fully in front of the chair and lowing himself to Jungkook’s eyes.

“I hope you’ve pondered this a while, because it isn’t a light decision to make.”

“I have!” Jungkook rushed to say. “I talked to Jimin about it… My, my Werewolf, and he doesn’t really want me to, but he told me a little about it. I’ve thought about it a lot. I really… I really need this, Sunbae-nim.”

My partner recoiled slightly at the title. Jungkook, gripping his seat in white-knuckled hands, didn’t falter in his gaze. Fierce chestnut eyes burned into Youngjae’s.

“You’re still a minor,” my partner began, straightening himself to look down at the boy. Jungkook looked about to burst with excuses, which meant he had the wrong idea about what Youngjae was about to say. “That means you’ll take to it much more easily. With maturity comes a resistance to the initiation process, unfortunately. If you want this, and if you’re totally sure, then we’ll help you.”

Jungkook’s smile was so bright with elation and relief, but hell, he was so young. Huge puppy-eyes reminded me of my own sweet minor, and it made me ache for a moment that another youth was joining this dangerous battle.

“First, you need to know what you’re in for,” Youngjae added, and pulled up a chair to face the boy. “Before training of any kind, there’s a dangerous initiation. I don’t know how much Jimin knows, so I’ll tell you it all. The first stage of joining is simply signing a contract and taking an oath. After your loyalty is given to the order, you’re required to kill a Demon.”

Jungkook’s breath hitched the second Youngjae finished his sentence. It was obvious how much Jimin had said, or hadn’t.

Still, Youngjae pushed on. “The type of Demon is up to you, and it cannot be an innocent spirit. We can only deal death to those already sentenced, or at least clearly guilty of… well, almost anything, since the only laws Demons can break are to do with harming, manipulating, or killing humans. Many Hunters have chosen different Demons, and it’s understood that the type of Demon will affect the spirit you become host to. Your soul doesn’t just become part-Demon, but it becomes part-Chimera, or Ghoul, or… Werewolf, even. Whatever the Demon you kill.”

Seokjin finally spoke, adding something he must have thought Youngjae had forgotten. “You missed the part where the kid has to drink the Demon’s blood and die.”

I could tell by his narrow-eyed, accusing glare that Youngjae had deliberately left that out and planned to cushion it a little later.

Jungkook visibly paled.

“Thanks, asshole,” Jae grumbled, rubbing his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. “Yes, you must drink the Demon’s blood while it still lives, whereby you steal some of its soul. It’s gruesome, Jungkook-shi. Your body will reject it. It will fight until it gives up, and for a moment, your mortal soul will fight with the intrusion and, technically, die. If you’re lucky, your soul will accept the Demon, and you’ll wake as healthy as before.”

Looking possibly even paler, Jungkook’s shoulders rose and fell noticeably faster than before.

Youngjae decided to finally finish up. The kid probably needed to go sleep on it before he made his final decision. “I can’t do it without telling your brother, Jungkook, so please get his permission. I hope we helped.”

I could tell by the look on the boy’s face that Youngjae had certainly answered his questions, but he hadn’t at all set his mind at ease.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When nude-Junhong emerged, bouncing with each step as his hair dripped around the room, Youngjae announced that it was time he left. He shot daggers at me as he hastily dragged Jungkook back to his brother. Seokjin looked oddly in a hurry to escape as well. I wondered if my relationship with a Wolf could be causing his mood. Not directly, of course, but possibly reminding him of something related. A Wolf he hooked up with? Or another Demon? Whatever it was, I hoped he got over it soon; I missed the old Seokjin: cheerful and inquisitive, and very affectionate.

Finally alone with my Wolf, I pulled him down onto the closest bed, attaching my lips to his before my head hit the pillow. Junhong’s soft skin had me melting against him and mumbling his name like a mantra. More confident than last time, Junhong let his hands discover me unhindered. I couldn’t help but respond to every touch, leaning into his hands and pushing back against his hips. He had us naked in moments. Long, slim thighs wrapped around me as he rearranged himself to be below me, and I stared down at him, dazed and completely in love. My shoulders pinched and shuddered from his touches, and my breath came faster with every little sound he made. I didn’t doubt that Junhong would always undo me.

“Yongguk-ah,” he whispered around kisses, and I moved my lips to his chest to let him talk. I hadn’t expected the topic to be serious, however. “For Jungkook to become a Hunter, we’ll have to kill again.”

I looked up at him, and his sad eyes matched the tone of voice. Sighing, I wrapped my arms under his head and snuggled him close for a moment. “Yes, we will, but not an innocent, Junnie.”

A whisper brushed across my skin. “Nobody deserves to die…”

“Not even killers?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t upsetting him beyond the point of consolation.

“I…” Junhong hesitated, then turned to bury his face in my shoulder. After a gentle sigh, he breathed “I guess… to keep innocents safe.”

“Does it really upset you, Junhongie-yah?”

He reacted to the concern in my voice with a kiss on my chin and a tickle of fingertips against my thigh. “Sometimes.”

“Don’t let it,” I whispered against his neck. He whined at the nibbles down his neck and clavicle. “You live one short life, baby. Don’t let things like that upset you.” After kissing my way to his navel, I sat up and smiled. “Enjoy the present—what’s right in front of you.”

It took a moment for his face to change. With his eyebrow quirking, Junhong couldn’t help but giggle. “I plan to enjoy you either way.”

Suddenly hotter than hell from my face to my toes, a groan rumbled in my throat at his teasing. “Oh yeah? What’d you have in mind?” I asked, my voice suddenly husky with wanting.

Junhong lifted his legs to wrap around me again, this time pulling my hips hard against his. Colliding dragged a moan from my lips as electricity sparked through my limbs.

“I want you to do it like the first time,” my blue-eyed Werewolf whispered, his eyes swimming with affection that was quickly replaced with lust. “Remember? When we kissed until all we could taste was each other.” Junhong’s hands began at my cheeks, sliding back through my hair with the addictive scraping of fingernails. He rubbed soothing circles into my nape and lower, pulling moans of pleasure from my throat. “You prepared me slowly, explaining that it might hurt, but you’d stop if I asked.”

“Junhong-ah,” I huffed, my muscles tense and trembling. The sheets protested from my clenched fingers.

“And you pushed my ankles up beside my ears and kissed me even more, then slid in so slow I thought I was gonna cry.”

After swallowing another sound of pleasure from just his words—and the memories they wrought upon me—I added to his reminiscence. “You did cry a little.”

“Mmm,” he hummed and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “And you wiped my tears and went even slower.” Junhong nudged my chin up and kissed me with more passion than I was used to.

“I could kiss you,” I began, pausing to let him lay more of those kisses on me, “until the sun came up.”

“You can kiss me as long as you want, just make sure you fit some sex in there somewhere.”

I felt a massive smile spread across my lips and crease my eyes. “Good; I bought a new bottle of lube for this.”

“Oh yeah?” Junhong asked, and despite his cute and blasé tone, I noticed a warm blush spreading across his cheeks. I knew Werewolves were more open to the topic of sex than most humans, so Junhong’s insouciance about it didn’t surprise me. When it became too personal, the embarrassment finally surfaced.

Grinning with pride at his flushed face, I leant into his embrace and kissed his cheeks once each. He let me slip away quickly to rummage in my bag, and he took the little tube the moment he could reach my hand. Just like the first time, Junhong was enthralled by the lube—the way it felt on his fingers and spread between his cheeks, and how easy the glide was when it helped him push his fingers inside.

Every single one of his little whimpers and squeaks was beautiful. Hurrying to start, he began preparing himself without me, but he didn’t forget me for long. With more yelps and pants, he manoeuvred my fingers to replace his and begged me not to stop. It got a whole lot more serious when I couldn’t just grin down at his needy movements, but instead had to do the work myself. Junhong’s clenching tummy and shuddering thighs were that way because of me. His harsh gasps and hoarse sighs were in direct response to the way I moved my fingers. I ached to bend over his lithe, pale frame and swallow those sounds as they left his lips, but he begged and begged for more.

Junhong was well beyond ‘ready’ when he batted my hand away and grabbed feverishly at my swollen length. “Aaahhrrgghhnn, gently,” I groaned, my hips snapping forward to meet his tight grip. Long fingers lathered me up and then tugged impatiently to get his point across. I almost turned my head and bit his knee. On the topic of his legs, I reached under his thighs and pushed them up. “Like last time,” I reminded, with a hint of mischief in my voice.

Junhong sure knew how to make a whole lot of noise. If he thought his cries would hurry me, he was wrong—for a while, anyway. I gave him everything he asked for, going as slow as possible so his body would totally accept me. Junhong panted, growled, snorted, and carried on, clawing and nipping me to egg me faster. With sheer determination to stick to the plan—which was to drive him completely delirious with need—I spent entirely too long just stretching him to fit before I even moved more than half an inch inside.

Junhong was foaming at the mouth by the time I started any sort of rhythm. Amazed by my self control, I set a leisurely pace, pushing in barely enough to give him my whole length. I ignored his desperate pleas and spiteful fingernail attacks, speeding up at my own pace. It took Junhong entirely by surprise when I finally gave him a good balls-deep thrust. He yelped as only a Werewolf can, and those glittering blue eyes finally rimmed with tears.

“You’re crying,” I whispered, bending down to kiss the curve of his cheekbone. Junhong mewled, and jerked his hips up, shoving himself onto me with all the vigour of a lusty young male. “It’s j-just,” I panted, “like the firs-st time.”

“Bang Yongguk,” he said with surprising coherence, but followed up with a vibrating cry. I groaned, rocking hard against him then. “I’m in-n love w-with you too,” he panted. “You’re mine, right?”

Trembling from my fingertips to my toes, I couldn’t control basic motor skills enough to caress him how I wanted. Instead, I nodded in odd, jerky movements and continued the onslaught against his plush rear. His calves began to tighten around my shoulders, accompanying the sudden and unmistakable clenching of his entrance around my base. Simply not screaming was an achievement.

Not expecting to last much longer, I gave in to the hot spasms in my belly and deep in my groin. Pawing Junhong’s dark and curved cock in my good hand, I dragged him hell for leather over the edge so I didn’t go alone. He cried out, a higher sound than mine, bathing the room in his abused voice like a final reward for my effort. Rolling my hips with the last of my strength, I rode out the last few moments and kissed him, wet and messy.

Angel-like hair haloed on a white pillow, and his red, sweaty face was the most beautiful thing in the world. He watched my every movement: from my gentle pulling-out to my wobbly crawling as I moved beside him to cuddle. Maybe we would clean up before sleep, maybe we wouldn’t. I couldn’t imagine a little mess would bother a Werewolf, and as long as I got to be pressed against him all night, I didn’t mind a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	37. Natural Talent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

Namjoon and Jongup had clearly continued the conversation by the time Donghyuk and I returned. Namjoon took in my state and seemed to decide I needed to eat something. The promise of food actually sent me into a startled state of dizziness with the need for sustenance. Jongup sat me down at a dining table and sat beside me, a hand on my shoulder suddenly bringing me back to my senses with a horribly familiar sensation.

“Jongup,” I groaned, a little too woozy to move away while he sent tingles of energy through my muscles.

“I’m just trying to make sure you don’t pass out,” he reassured, but he didn’t stop. Warmth started in my stomach just from the implication of the action, and how it related to me, but it began at my shoulder as well, spiking through my limbs. It certainly eliminated all feelings of dizziness, and as soon as I was alert enough, I pushed him away.

“Thanks,” I forced. “But I think I just need to eat.”

The Angel sat down beside me at Donghyuk’s beckon, and the human—immortal?—sat on my other side. He seemed equal parts excited and worried. Excited, I assumed, to meet another who he thought was in his position. His worry must have been empathetic. He didn’t know Hoseok, but he had already proven he cared about me from the moment we met, and now he seemed to want my Angel’s safe return as much as I did.

“You said his name is Hoseok?” Donghyuk began, and nodded when I did. “Do you—I mean, I’m sure this has occurred to you already—but do you communicate at all at a distance?”

I shook my head slightly, knowing to what he referred and feeling frustrated that I hadn’t been able to learn that yet. “He’s always been able to sense me, but I… I’m not good enough yet.”

Donghyuk gave a small smile at that and glanced down at his hands on the wooden table. “It isn’t a talent or anything. If you’ve felt him before, you can feel him again, I’m sure of it.”

“But how can I even begin when he’s so far away?”

Namjoon returned, I assume from the kitchen, bringing two large dishes of delectable-smelling food. It didn’t even matter what it was, only that it was edible. The primal urge to feed myself distracted me entirely from the very important conversation for a few moments as the meal was laid out in front of us, but Namjoon seemed to have something to contribute, so he brought me back.

“You’re bonded to this Spirit, Yoongi. Your souls are connected. There’s a power in that alone that connects you, even if you hadn’t felt the touch of his mind before, and I’m sure you have.”

I nodded, looking up at him as he handed us each a plate. Even Jongup decided to eat, maybe out of courtesy. “I’ve felt it. But briefly, and seldom.”

“Let’s eat. I’m sure your mind will be clearer on a full stomach.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Concentrate, Yoongi.”

“I am…”

“Concentrate with your mind.”

“I am!”

Namjoon wasn’t losing patience, just rushing me, and I didn’t know if I could handle that right now. I was in a hurry, too, but that didn’t mean this was something that could be rushed. Maybe it could; what would I know? I was seated on a comfortable couch, my legs crossed with my socked feet underneath me.

“You’re thinking with your body.”

“How could I be-”

“You’re trying to feel something physical.” Impatience seeped into his voice then, for the first time, and I sighed, wishing I could grasp just what it is he meant. “Hoseok is not here. You cannot touch his skin. You must reach his soul, and for that, you must only feel with yours.”

Another sigh, and I tried to relax completely. Hoseok had explained that I needed to relax to disengage with my body—to help forget that the physical existed, and feel with my mind.

Suddenly, a waver in my concentration, but what caused it? Nobody spoke, or touched me. Nothing moved. Nothing but my train of thought, attempting to follow one linear path as I relaxed. It steered off course, but it wasn’t me making it move.

“Push back,” Namjoon whispered quietly.

I opened my mouth to reply, but forced myself to stop. I focused on the feeling, and tried to put my thoughts back on track. A few silent moments passed, my eyes gently closed and my breathing steady, and the feeling came back; just a subtle tug trying to take my attention. I didn’t know how to make it stop, but it seemed the intention was enough. I wanted to ‘push back’ somehow, and it seemed I did. I had control again.

“Good.”

Only a few moments later, with my body so relaxed that I could have slept, my thoughts were jerked suddenly downwards, and I felt terrifyingly as though I was falling. One of my greatest fears gripped me, and I reached out with everything I had to hold on to something—anything. I scrambled for purchase and gripped something, making the sensation suddenly halt. A combination of fear and anger lashed out, and the culprit withdrew.

Still silence followed, and after a few moments I opened my eyes. Namjoon was looking at me with a somewhat impressed expression. I looked around for a moment, displaced by the fact that I hadn’t moved at all despite the panic of a few seconds ago. It had happened entirely in side my mind. No, I thought, Namjoon was there too. He’d deliberately frightened me, and by the look on his face, it seemed like I’d overcome it.

“Donghyuk,” the Fallen began, and his lover came to his side. “Mind acting as a target?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The aim now was to touch the other human’s mind with mine. The speed at which I picked it up seemed to forever impress Namjoon. He pushed me, and I only exceeded his expectations. Not that I knew what I was doing, really. I was just thinking about what he said, and it seemed to work. Donghyuk reacted exaggeratedly, his expressions mirroring the touches he left in my mind. I knew only because the Fallen had instructed I do this with my eyes open this time. It was more difficult to forget my senses while I could see, but I managed. Donghyuk’s eyes would narrow slightly when he felt my attempts, and his breath caught a little when I pushed deeper. His fingers curled when he reached towards me. It seemed to be more difficult for him, because for me, it was as effortless as a thought crossing my mind.

Namjoon stopped us after a while, stroking his human’s hair which had begun to dampen at the tips with sweat. “This kind of talent is not learnt,” he said, his gaze landing on the quietly observing Angel perched on a different couch. The Fallen looked back to me. “You’ve not trained, yet you’ve not once missed a beat.”

I had no idea where he was going with this praise, not that it felt like praise with such a sceptical expression on his face.

Jongup seemed to have some input then, and cleared his throat. “Is it inherited?”

Namjoon nodded, still looking at my face as though he could see right through it. He probably could. I wasn’t sure, but I assumed he was touching my mind right then. My soul. Feeling my colours. 

“Then his Hunter father may have had something to do with his talent.”

The Fallen nodded again, and then suddenly let an epiphany light up his eyes. He looked at Jongup for a moment, and then pinned me very suddenly, his eyes in mine. “Min Yoongi. Min Yoongi. As in… Min Dongyoon?”

It felt ridiculous to me that he could link my name to my father’s so easily, out of all of the Demon Hunters that assumedly had the same letter as their surname, and possibly even a letter in their given name the same as well. But it shouldn’t be ridiculous, really, because apparently my father was a hero. Apparently, everyone knew him; it really wasn’t so ridiculous at all.

My small nod made Namjoon’s entire face change, a silent ‘ohhhh’ on his lips, and he nodded slowly to show he finally understood. “In that case, my boy, we needn’t stall. You’re a natural.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I knew one member of the party who stayed behind very well, and that was Jimin. So Jimin it would be, it seemed, to act as my long-distance target. Jongup told me he could feel the Wolf, and that he was currently relaxed and stationery; an easy target. Namjoon explained what it would feel like when I reached him, and explained that it wouldn’t matter if I was intrusive, so to be as ‘loud’ as possible. I didn’t know if I could think loudly, but I tried. Minutes passed in total silence. It took much longer to focus this time, because my father’s face was lingering behind my eyes, and it was difficult simply not to cry. It was also more difficult to find anything to ground myself while I couldn’t see Jimin at all. I pictured him in my mind and thought about his voice and his unique, animal way of moving and acting. I thought about how he spoke to me, and how I’d speak to him, and that I needed him right now. I needed him to feel me and show me he knew I was there, searching, pleading. I just needed his help for this one small thing… just respond…

And suddenly I heard him. No, I didn’t hear him at all, but… I felt a slight urgency as though someone had called my name. Everyone else in the room seemed shocked when my head suddenly snapped up, facing in no obvious direction. I knew it was Jimin, but I didn’t know how. It just… felt like him.

“He responded…”

Jongup and Donghyuk high-fived as I met Namjoon’s gaze, and suddenly, despite having totally lost concentration, I felt the Wolf again. Curiosity, slight panic… he was frazzled, begging me to explain why I contacted him suddenly, I supposed. I tried to reach out again, my breaths coming fast from excitement. When I attempted to reassure him, I reached him easily, sending comforting thoughts, and suddenly noticed a very obvious change in his… his what? It was the air around his soul, the feel of it. Maybe his mood. Was this what Hoseok called his ‘colours?’ It was a dark, scary sort of feeling at first, reminding me of navy or purple, and then it slowly seeped into a warm pink: magenta. It felt calmer.

I looked over at Namjoon again, awaiting his approval, but I suddenly felt a little dizzy. “He resp-… responded…”

Jongup hardly had a chance to catch me before I toppled off the couch entirely, losing grip of my consciousness in the blink of an eye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	38. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

Darkness set back in as soon as Jiho had had his fill of torturing me for the day. Having shown my potential to beat the shit out of him during our last heated conversation, he found it necessary to ‘show me who’s boss,’ as it were. I hated night time now more than ever. So dark. So quiet. So awfully sad and lonely. Nights were for rest, curled up with Yoongi, speaking softly of things we could only say to each other. Night should not be dreaded in this way.

But for now, there was hope. I had attacked Jiho. It was a burst of distraught fury, but it was no coincidence, no random, displaced event. It was me. I hadn’t thought myself capable, not only while affected by his dampening magic, but while so weakened in my fallen state. Something in our interaction had unlocked some of the power I thought lost, and it was no secret what. He had killed my friend—a complete innocent and a child. I was sickened, mortified, and miserable. I had felt enough human emotion to know how powerful it could be.

It seemed it was what I needed right now. If ‘falling’ made me closer to humans, maybe it would help me to think as one. Yoongi’s over-emotional outbursts were often the only way he could deal with upsetting things. My emotional outburst got me whipped, burnt, and lacerated, but it also gave me hope. I was no longer useless. Maybe I never had been.

Sometime in the morning, just after the sun began to chase away the darkness I feared so much, there was a stirring somewhere inside me that had me rousing from the sleep-like boredom and misery I often drifted in during times of darkness. I managed to lift my head, and my eyes trailed along the adjacent damp stone wall, unseeing. Whatever thoughts had been in my mind before, I couldn’t quite recall. What was it getting my attention? Like a niggling reminder of something I’d forgotten… but what could I have forgotten? I’d been here weeks.

No. It was abruptly and shockingly obvious that it wasn’t me at all. My thoughts, my mind, and my soul had nothing to do with the attention-seeking tug in my mind then. It didn’t strengthen at all, just lingered, skirting around as though very weak and far away. I feared for a moment, that this was a trick of some kind, but I was too curious. I grabbed on. I hadn’t ever opened my mind to anything so willingly before. I needed whatever this was like a lifeline.

Please, I begged, trying to remind myself how to control my spirit. Don’t leave me here…

The touch reacted to me immediately. Gentle, unsure prodding turned to digging, diving as deep as possible and spreading through me, it clung inside my mind and it screamed. I couldn’t tell what, but it was loud, urgent, and, most thrillingly, familiar. Through the haze of my beaten mind, I finally felt someone, found something to grasp onto that told me I was communicating with another spirit.

Who, I begged, pleaded, sobbed, until it suddenly responded with a spreading warmth that enveloped me. Written all over the tendrils of desperation that clung to me as hard as I clung back was Yoongi. His love, his fear, his frustration, and his agony. He was here, suffocatingly so, deeper inside my mind than I knew anyone could go. I felt him surge through me as strong and sure as my love for him—his soul had found mine despite the distance between us, and I never wanted to let him go.

I felt his urgency above all else. I touched the bright, shocking colours that begged me to listen. It wasn’t difficult to understand what he wanted to tell me. He wanted me to be strong, and trust myself. We had allies. We can do this, together.

As though he was alerted to the commotion in my spirit, Jiho entered my cell with a meaningful drive in every step. He marched towards me, seeming focused on something until he noticed my state. I clung tightly to Yoongi as I raised my head to look at the Vampire, everything in my body language showing how shaken I was. Heavy breathing, eyes wide.

“Is my visit unexpected, Fallen?” he goaded, proving he was unawares.

“You are weak,” I told him in a hoarse, unused voice, and he tilted his head slightly, an intimidating feline movement. “Your plan will fail.”

“Such confidence,” he teased in a patronising tone. “Whatever makes you think you are in any position to assume such nonsense?”

“This.” My growl was followed by an attack fuelled by all of the hope and courage I’d gained from the touch of my human once again. It felt darker this time, tainted maybe by the hatred I felt towards this Demon, and the misery he’d caused me. The light was not gone, however; it was simply redirected, spreading outwards from me in every direction to shake the very foundations of my prison.

Jiho didn’t stop to question it, simply came back at me with a spiralling helix of black and blood red, shooting from his hand to my neck and cutting off my breathing. Unshaken, I clenched my fist and tore it free of its nail and chains, metal shattering from my strength. Able to direct my attacks, I freed my other arm and summoned my blade. Jiho’s powerful grip on my throat was severed easily, and for the first time, I saw real fear in his eyes. My wings snapped up behind me, free and powerful, and I held his blood-red eyes for a moment before running him through.

Red faded to dark, soulless black in his eyes as he stared at me, and his skin paled to an icy, inhuman ivory. I shoved him towards the floor, black spluttering from his lips and the wound in his gut, and held my weapon proudly.

“This world is no place for your games, Vampire. I won’t go back on my promise to protect it.”

His shuddering body eventually stilled. I made a hurried exit, and not a single Demon attempted to stop me. Within moments, I was back in the sky, drawn towards my charge by his powerful pull.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	39. Almost Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Taehyung

~

"Taehyung and Junhong, you're with me. Take my flanks and we’ll patrol the southeast."

Daehyun finished assigning our pack scouts to defend the Human on his journey into Canada. It got marginally colder as we crossed the border, and I was glad to stay Lupe and keep my thick coat. It also distracted me from the fact that I was spending my Coming of Age Day protecting a Human I didn’t even care about.

Junhong stayed just in hearing range, taking the innermost patrol while I kept an eye out on the outside. Daehyun was a good leader, turning to check up on us often, and never letting anybody fall behind. The trip was so Demon-free that it could have boring if not for all the new terrain, new smells, new hunt.

As usual with this particular Human, trouble caught up with us. Junhong was the first to notice, and by then it was much too late. The Demons were completely undetectable to us--more scentless than unmarked Humans--and it wasn't until Junhong let out a signal howl that we noticed them.

I didn't know what they were. Dark-cloaked bodies and empty faces riding giant, black horse-like beasts. I was more terrified of their unexpected approach than them--how could we not detect such a large group of Demons? Even Daehyun was taken by surprise. Our Beta led us right at them, barking commands at the rest of the scouts.

The initial clash was just us and them: wolves tearing into mounts that screamed like banshees, and flashing blades swinging from imperceptible hands. Jiho’s pack joined just moments later, having head our warning howls. The fight moved, and even if we slowed the Demons down, we didn't stop their hunting.

The team we were protecting were travelling on a small highway, and the Demons caught up to them on the beginning of a long, straight road surrounded by thick forest. I sank my teeth into a mass of robes, but it seemed fruitless; there was no flesh beneath. We began shifting—Jimin’s Alpha first and the rest after--and our Lycans tore at the cavalry with everything we had.

We didn't seem to make much of an impact until the Angel arrived. With him, three Hunters and a Vampire joined the combat. I knew there was a Vamp in the company, but I hadn't expected it to have taken sides to the point of fighting with us. He wasn't useless, either. He seemed to make a bigger impact than myself, causing one of the Demon riders to come off his mount entirely and focus only on him.

Instead of focusing on killing, I turned my attention to Junhong. If I couldn’t help kill the Demons, I wanted to do something useful. Junhong wasn't exactly struggling, but confidence filled him when I came to his side to keep him safe.

The Demons' cries were as piercing as their mounts'. It seemed the only way to kill them was with whatever powers the Angel had. Like a combination of lightening and fireworks, his attacks jolted through the empty robes and filled them with flames. The Hunters made an impact as well, I noticed, when their bullets exploded inside the enemy's dark bodies. If anything, us Wolves were good for nothing but a distraction.

Junhong’s hunter seemed to have positioned himself to make my mission redundant. Of course he'd be protecting his lover, I thought, and it caused a wave of shock through me. Suddenly, I looked for Seokjin.

Even my Lycan was momentarily mesmerised by how hot he looked. Seokjin was effortlessly holding off two Demons at a time, a dirk swinging in one hand and a small Desert Eagle backing him up with exploding rounds. He didn't seem to tire as he sliced tattered black fabric into shreds. Only when a third began to attack him did he struggle.

My Lycan didn't tire a bit as I fought by the Hunter's side. I held two of the Demons off while Seokjin finished the other, and it's screeching almost threw me entirely. Having the handle on them now, Seokjin took down two more in the blink of an eye, and by the time we rushed to our companions' aid, the fight was almost over.

Feeling exhausted more from shock and fear than exertion, I changed back to Lupe almost immediately. I heard mumbles of concern and affection as Junhong and Yongguk pressed themselves against each other, one clad in dark leather and covered in blood, and the other in his birthday suit. I found the Angel standing over ashes and shredded rags, looking rather disturbed, but otherwise okay. Turning back towards Seokjin, I saw him with Lupe Jimin, examining a younger boy for wounds.

During the fight, I hadn't realised that the third Human wasn't the third Hunter, but just a Human. I'd have pondered that for a moment had I not seen a wound on Seokjin's shoulder. My ears flattened in concern. I hadn't so much as spoken to him in months; what were the chances he wouldn't let me help him?

I trotted over as Jimin branched away with his bonded. Seokjin faced me then, his eyes down-turned and heavy with exhaustion. As he sighed, I watched a gentle breeze rustle the sweat-damp bangs over his forehead. I could tell he hadn't quite noticed his injury yet. There was a wary expression on his face while he looked in my eyes. The silence was eerie, but I milked every second in Seokjin's eyes for all I could get.

"Go to your pack," he said after some time, but it wasn't harsh: wasn't even demanding. It was the gentlest voice he'd ever used on me. "Lick some wounds."

I felt a whine build up, and couldn't stop it filling the silence. My tail lowered as I crept a little closer, and I crouched just enough to show him submission. Seokjin's brows creased for just a second, then he must have suddenly noticed his injury. Masking a wince, he glanced over his shoulder and then back at me.

"You want to help me." It didn't have to be a question; he knew. Seokjin sighed as he watched Jongup spread his hands over Yongguk's side to help a gaping wound close up. I straightened when the Hunter shrugged off his jacket and gently peeled off his shirt.

It was a grassy patch beside a deserted highway—so far from home—but I couldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Seokjin sat bravely still while I cleaned him up as best I could. Knowing I could soothe him and help him heal was more fulfilling than any of the fight. Seokjin rested his hands on his knees in silence, his eyes on the jacket he would now have to repair or replace. Even if it was uncomfortable in the sterile place Seokjin kept me, it felt right to be beside him.

The slash was no longer an angry red or bleeding when I finished, and wouldn't even need stitches. I huffed gently, realising things were about to go back to the way they'd recently been. I hadn't felt this human sort of longing or remorse as Lupe before, but looking at Seokjin, it didn't matter what form I took; every part of my soul wanted him to stay with me. I took one last breath of his scent, and leant my head against the unscathed side of his back.

Seokjin flexed noticeably, and then turned slightly. I nuzzled my way under his arm, and then met his eyes mournfully. I expected some expression of frustration, but there was only softness in his eyes. He even lifted his hand and petted my head, gently toyed with my ears, and stroked down the fur of my neck.

"Thank you," he whispered, and then he got up and gathered his clothing. It almost made it worse that he acted kind. Would that be it? Would we go back to silence? My heart ached in a way that promised the attachment was permanent.

"How did they find us?" I caught Yongguk asking the Angel as he fixed his clothing over his healed wound. "Your ward should have hidden us, right?"

Jongup had an eternally mortified look on his face as though he blamed the entire thing on himself. "Wraiths only need a scent to follow and they're unstoppable. They're the only thing I can't keep us safe from, but I didn't consider it, because they need to be given something that would smell like their target, or they can't get the scent." The Angel paced, wracking his brain. "It would have to be... clothing, or a close belonging that's on one's person all the time. A bag, a cell phone... How could the Demons have something of ours?"

The young Human spoke up then, looking unsure if his input was worth the interruption. "Uh... I lost a shirt when we left the hotel. I didn't think much of it... I thought I just forgot to pack it, but..."

Jongup's eyes went wide. "That must be it... But how did they get it? I protected our scents. I took care of everything!"

Hearing him sound so sure just made it all that much more frightening. Unsettling such a powerful Spirit was no small feat. The Angel wasn't even the most unsettled, either. I wasn't sure if anyone else felt it, but the Hunter beside me was trembling with anxiety.

I glanced up at Seokjin, and from the question in my eyes, apparently Daehyun noticed too. In the blink of an eye, he'd shifted from Lupe to Anthrokos, and had Seokjin pinned against a massive spruce trunk. The Hunter winced as bark scratched his back, and a moment later he made a move to break free. My Beta's foolhardy grip didn't budge, one clawed hand against his neck and the other incapacitating his weapon hand. Daehyun snarled, his bare body rippling with agitation.

"Unhand him!" Yongguk commanded, a weapon aimed squarely. The round I knew was loaded would no doubt deal more than a minor injury. Daehyun didn't let go, however, and our pack gathered closer in his defence.

"Was it you?" My Beta growled, baring his set of Alpha-fangs as a threat.

Seokjin gave up writhing and shouted back: "I don't know what you're talking about!" His voice was laced with emotion, but tainted by an obvious lie.

Jongup marched over, but instead of tearing the two apart, he walked right past and stared into the woods. Daehyun watched him, eyes narrowed in thought, and then the Beta bent down and buried his nose in Seokjin's neck. The Hunter grunted with the effort of trying again to get away. When Jongup turned, there was a spark of realisation in his eyes. Daehyun nodded once at the Angel, as though they'd made a silent agreement.

Seokjin was freed, and the half-dressed Hunter rubbed his neck and then his wrist with a chided grimace on his lips. I was pretty confused.

"I didn't want to give him the-" Seokjin began after a silence, but Jongup hushed him.

“Is he sworn to keep you alive?” the Angel asked, and Seokjin hesitated. With a grim set to his brow, he nodded once.

Daehyun turned to Jongup with a wicked grin. “Then we drag him here by force.”

My heart stopped when my Beta spun—arms outstretched and nails extended in sharp, canine points—and tore a three-clawed gash from the Hunter’s shoulder to his belly-button. It was entirely effortless, the way Jongup hardly looked at Yongguk’s rapidly-aimed gun before it fell apart in the Hunter’s hand. There was everything but silence—howls and snarls starting up—but the Angel made sure we kept mostly quiet. A few low growls and tense whines filled the air, and Seokjin couldn’t help a small whimper as he stumbled and half-caught himself against the tree.

My Human form was upon him in a second. I knew I couldn’t help him—not with his entire front side opened up and important parts of him spilling out—but I also knew Daehyun wasn’t about to kill him for no reason. Maybe he was a traitor and I was better off letting him go. Seokjin wrapped an arm around my neck to hold himself up, and another agonised groan slipped from his lips and brushed right across my ear.

“Don’t cry,” the Hunter managed to mumble. I hadn’t noticed I was. “You c-an do much better than me.”

“No!” I begged, and indeed, I had to choke back sobs. “You’re the only one for me, Hyung. You’re not gonna die!” The blood soaking his body and all down his pants said otherwise. I helped him sit and forced myself not to look at his wound. It hadn’t even hit me yet that he really could die, and I didn’t even understand why.

My panicking had distracted me from anything but him. In the few moments I clung to the Hunter, a fiercely aggressive winged Demon had arrived on the scene, and a harsh screech suddenly rang through the still afternoon. As soon as I paid it attention, a horrified realisation set in—I knew the Demon. I knew he was close with Seokjin. Suddenly, and most terrifyingly, I knew why Seokjin was mostly to blame.

The Incubus—Hyosang—swooped wildly over Daehyun’s head, and my Beta turned Lycan in a second. The attack was immediately made redundant as Jongup summoned a wave of force that slammed Hyosang into the ground. Yongguk—looking confused, rattled, and everything but all right—ran to help secure the Demon. Hyosang still had plenty of fight, and the Hunter almost suffered a nasty scratch from flailing claws. I didn’t want to watch whatever was going on over there—even if Seokjin had sold the Human out and sentenced him to death, this could be the last time I ever saw him.

“Taehyung, please let me through,” came Jongup’s panting voice, and I blinked up at him through the blur of tears. I shuffled around to Seokjin’s other side as the Angel crouched down over the mess of a body. Gentle hands touched around his wound, and I could hardly stand to watch as the Angel literally re-stuffed Seokjin with all of his misplaced parts. My Lupe would never have considered cringing—he tears animals apart for sustenance. My Human was a whole different story; I’d never seen a living being with their guts hanging out before… not even on TV. Just moments later, the weak and dying Hunter tensed up and began to writhe, and I noticed Jongup had begun to heal him.

Huffs of disbelief came from deep in my chest as the wound began to close. I had to watch, no matter how gruesome. Dark red, striated muscle fibres knitted together from the deepest part up, and slowly, pink skin began to close over the middle. I cried harder yet as the layers covered his scratches one by one. Seokjin’s body trembled under my hands where I held him. His shoulder was hot where my forehead rested, and his hand squeezed mine with all the strength he had. As Jongup pulled away, an exhausted yet satisfied sigh leaving him, I fell entirely on top of Seokjin in the sort of hysterics I would have been embarrassed to witness.

Jongup looked ready to pass out before he even stood, and when he got to his feet, he almost collapsed. I looked towards Hyosang to make sure the Demon wasn’t a threat anymore. Daehyun’s Lupe had him by the throat, and Yongguk held the end of a steel-spiked chain, the rest of which had the giant, fleshy wings tethered and bloody in its tangles. Rather than regretful or afraid, the Demon looked positively pissed-off. Every muscle worked with the intention of causing harm, and all of his captors had been scratched or bitten at least once. I assumed that was why Jimin and his Alpha had joined in to secure him.

Upon glancing back at the Hunter in my arms, I found he’d passed out. Reassured by his steady heartbeat, I sighed and rested my forehead against his. For a few moments there, I was sure I’d lost him. My fingers traced the back of his hand and the lines of his neck. While so relaxed, he looked just like the man I met all those months ago. The Hunter I’d gotten to know was too tense, too easily angered, and it wasn’t Seokjin. I touched the soft skin between his brows and stroked down the bridge of his nose. He’s been frowning too much—that wasn’t my Seokjin. It irked me that he could have allowed Hyosang to set Wraiths on us, but I couldn’t get mad about it. I couldn’t do anything but treasure that he was still alive and wait for the tears to stop falling.

The Demon, now completely bound beyond further harm, shouted something in such a voice that Seokjin jerked awake from it. I hadn’t listened, but it must have been significant to the Hunter. Seokjin turned to his right, wincing a little as his body twisted, and stared at the Demon, frightened. I squeezed his hand, but he didn’t notice.

“You’re mine, Kim Seokjin!” Hyosang shouted, and clearly it upset the Hunter. “You’ll never be free of me! You think death will stop me?!” His screams were almost delirious as he struggled fruitlessly. I tried to block him out—it scared me almost as much. The Hunters didn’t let it go on long. I flinched and curled my head away at the shock of gunshots. Three in fast succession thudded right into their target, and it took a few moments for my tense body to relax enough to look up again. The killer wasn’t even a Hunter—it was the kid.

Just as the Human’s fierce expression began to relax, his hand slackened, letting the gun fall to the forest floor, and he collapsed. Yongguk and Junhong went to him, but a frantic Jimin beat them there. I didn’t know what had happened to the Human, but relief filled me as the Demon slumped down in death and finally stopped moving. With that, Seokjin passed out as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The original party didn’t travel together after that. Yoongi and the third Hunter had gone on towards their target—The Dragon—and Yongguk, Daehyun, Junhong, and I arranged the unconscious Humans on the back seat of their car. “We’ll go on until the first hotel,” Yongguk said, and then he turned to Jongup with a meaningful look in his eyes. “Thank you. Everything you’ve done for us thus far has been a blessing.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” the Angel affirmed, and then gave me one last nod before spreading his ethereal wings and taking off.

Yongguk sighed gently closing the car door. “He’ll accompany Yoongi, and Youngjae will probably stay close by.” He seemed a little lost for a few moments. “Taehyung, right?” he asked softly, and I nodded. “If you know, I beg that you tell me something. Was Seokjin… bonded to that Demon?”

I couldn’t have known for certain—I didn’t even know how those kinds of things worked—but I had hardly an inch of room to doubt. All I could do was tell the truth. “I met the Incubus in Seokjin’s apartment. They were… close, from what I could tell. He did everything the Demon told him, so…”

Daehyun cleared his throat. “If I may…” he began, and glanced at me before turning to Yongguk. “Your comrade didn’t smell of the Incubus at all until I was right up against him, so that’s why nobody noticed. If nothing else, the Demon had immaculate warding powers. I didn’t notice it until it dawned on me that the Angel was suspicious. It takes more than a young Incubus to fool a spirit that’s more than two centuries old. He knew Seokjin was hiding something, and I did too.” Daehyun shook his head, almost as though disappointed. “He seemed upset with himself, so I don’t suppose he did anything sinister on purpose.”

I felt like Daehyun said that last part for my benefit.

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked quietly.

Daehyun shrugged, affirming that it wasn’t his own concern at all. Yongguk answered for me. “As far as I could tell, the Demon was hell-bent on taking Jin down with him. There’s a chance he managed to… somehow attack his spirit on the way out. I can’t imagine the breaking of a spirit bond would usually take the survivor out. Anyway, I don’t know if he’ll be okay, but with any luck, we can get the Angel to look over him as soon as possible.” Bile rose in my throat. Before he could say anymore, I shifted into Lupe and ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The panic faded to a steady and constant anxiety in the back of my mind as I followed the party on all fours. Lupe form had a way of keeping me calm and level-headed, so I stayed that way for as long as possible. The Canadian wilderness disappeared in a blur, leaving no impression on me at all. I met Human Jimin at the edge of the forest before the town in which we planned to rest and wait. He approached me with clothing in his arms, and held it out to me once I shifted.

I mumbled my appreciation, and then looked up as he affectionately gripped my shoulder.

“Hurry and dress; he’s been stirring and should wake soon.”

I felt my eyes widen as I looked up at him, tugging jeans up my legs. “Seokjin?!”

“Of course. Jungkook… will take a little longer…”

I nodded, sympathy in my eyes. “I’ve got no idea what happened back there, by the way.”

Jimin sighed, beginning to walk as I buttoned up my flannelette. “Well… he took the initiation to become a Hunter. He drank that Incubus’s blood while it was still alive, and then… killed it.”

My shocked expression didn’t fade. “Gruesome.”

He ignored my comment. “He… Jungkook, he… died… for a few hours.”

My brows tilted up in concern then. “Shit, is he okay?”

Jimin nodded. “That’s supposed to happen; it’s just… ridiculous. Ridiculous that he agreed to it in the first place, and that he even wants to be a Hunter, Taehyung fuck, what do I do?”

His anxiety and stress trembled around me like a literal force. “If he’s okay, then… nothing, I guess? There’s nothing you can do except support him.” I sighed, knowing how it felt to fear for someone you adore.

Jimin nodded. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean I don’t wanna kick his butt though.”

I grinned. Yeah, I knew how it felt to want that, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I got to the Hotel, I almost made it up to the room with Jimin before I was dragged into a different room. I knew who by—couldn’t ever mistake his smell—but that didn’t stop my shock. The door slammed closed behind me, and my back was thumped into the closest wall with just one thing between myself and the plaster—Seokjin’s arms. His embrace was warm and strong, and when my heart palpitations finally calmed, I relaxed and lifted my arms to return the gesture. Still filled with confusion, my arms gingerly wound around his shoulders while his face pressed, completely still, against my neck. I let him have a few moments, but so much shock and relief was swirling in my mind that I didn’t know for how long I could stand it.

“You’re okay,” I whispered, disbelief lifting me higher than the clouds, and his arms tightened just a touch.

His voice was quiet, but obviously husky with emotion. “I have so much to apologise for, Tae; you’ve done so much for me.”

His lips moving on my neck brought me to earth really quickly. “Hyung,” I breathed, arching against him and pulling him as tight to me as I could. “Don’t apologise. Not right now…” I didn’t care about anything in that moment except his arms around me, and his warm, strong breaths washing down my neck.

“Tae…” he whispered again, turning his head gently towards me. I pulled back to look in his eyes, almost afraid of what I would see. Seokjin’s expression didn’t hold anything back. I saw pain, firstly, and then affection—so much that I didn’t understand it. “I didn’t… I couldn’t see what you meant to me…”

“What do you mean?” I asked, tense and too unconfident to anticipate his answer.

“I was bound, Taehyung. I was under his control. I had to do what he said.” He regretted every word, was visibly regretting everything he had to admit. “He owned me… He made me put everyone at risk…”

I wanted to ask why he bonded with him in the first place, then. Wasn’t it supposed to be about love? I couldn’t ask—what if it had been? It’d break my heart to hear Seokjin loved someone else. I just shook my head, moving my hands to his neck, tilting his head to look back in my eyes. I couldn’t say anything that I wanted to say, but he made it so I didn’t have to.

The next few seconds seemed to drag on for hours, his gaze sliding gently down from my eyes to my lips. I had too much time to wonder if my excitement was misplaced, and it wasn’t until the last second that I he finally put me out of my misery.

Kissing Seokjin was like the first breath of air after months of drowning. I could hardly believe it at first, freezing up, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. His hands spread out on the small of my back, fingers digging in, and I couldn’t help but react.

There was just one light on in the room he’d dragged me into—a lamp beside the bed that cast just a dim yellow shine on the stark white sheets. Seokjin was just dressed in a tank-top and sweats, and his hair was a fluffy mess. The way he stumbled and half-tripped onto the bed proved he was still a little weak, but I wasn’t much help getting myself there either; my legs had been like cooked spaghetti since the moment he kissed me.

He didn’t tear at my clothing, like I remembered he’d usually do at this point, or describe everything he wanted to do to me. Instead, he guided me to lie comfortably against the pillows, kissed me slowly with his tongue just poking at my piercing as though reminding himself it was there, and whispered into my hair how much he missed me. It was all too much for me to come to terms with at first, and I could hardly bring myself to do more than kiss him back. My fingers ghosted up his arms, just rediscovering what I’d forgotten all about.

“You told me,” Seokjin began, more breath than voice, and paused to kiss my lips, “that your birthday was December thirtieth.”

I almost couldn’t keep eye-contact with him for a moment, astonishment bringing tears to my eyes. I certainly couldn’t answer him, and barely nodded so that he’d continue.

“You’re eighteen… Taehyung, I haven’t been able to say or do what I want in such a long time that I was so scared I’d lost you… I almost hoped you’d forget about me and move on so that you wouldn’t be dragged down with me, but I couldn’t bear the thought of that. Now that you’re eighteen, please…”

I gulped, blinking to clear my vision, but it only made tears dribble from the corners of my eyes. “Seokjin…” I couldn’t possibly have looked more pathetic, but I tried to redeem myself a little, at least, if not simply to gather my wits. “I waited around for you for months while you ignored me.” My voice trembled in the tone of a pre-pubescent boy, but he somehow managed to understand the croaking words. “And you could pretend to hate me for the rest of my life and I’d still wait.” I really did crack then, my lips pulling back over my teeth and my eyes clenching while I succumbed to silent sobs. I sniffed and trembled while he bundled me up in his arms and squeezed me tightly. It wasn’t as terrifying to think things like that anymore—I’d known for a while that I’d imprinted. I was pretty sure it was something I’d have to accept.

He mumbled apologies over and over, pressed kisses to my hair and stroked firm, reassuring circles into my sides. Slowly, eventually, I came back to myself, and relaxed into an exhausted heap in his embrace. I hid my face in the pillow when he tried to turn me to him, because I knew I looked like shit, but the second he finally made me look at him, he kissed me. He kissed me long and slow, and cupped my cheek in his long-fingered hand. He stroked my bangs back off my face and scraped his nails over my scalp. He slid his fingers down my arm and laced them with mine, and finally pulled back to look at me again. Tear-streaked and gross, I stared back, and he took a deep, steadying breath.

“Tae…” His fingers tightened in mine for just a second, but he fought not to let his expression falter. “I love you. And I’m sorry. I plan to tell you both of those things for a long time, because I owe you.”

“You don’t,” I whispered, tipping my chin up to touch his nose with mine. “I lov-ve you too, Hyung.”

He smiled, his brows tilting up innocently, and then he kissed me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	40. Time To Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

After an exhaustion-induced nap that took up much more time than I wanted, I awoke on a comfortable couch with a fluffy fur blanket over me. I couldn’t settle at all despite my tiredness and the comfort I felt doing absolutely nothing at all. I needed to focus right now. I needed to find Hoseok. Lying still, I suddenly felt my whole body fill with anguish at the thought of him. It took only moments for my eyes to brim with tears and a lot longer for me to feel even a little calm again. I noticed Jongup lingering at the doorway to the living room, his expression concerned as though he could feel my pain. I was sure he could.

I wiped my eyes a little before sitting up and glancing at him again. “I think I can do it,” I croaked, then cleared my throat, a little embarrassed at how weak I sounded.

“Is there any chance you’ll wait until you’ve rested a little more?” Jongup almost immediately sighed in response to my expression, and he moved towards me to sit on the end of the couch. “I’m just concerned about how tired you look. You don’t feel up to anything like that yet.”

He was right—I didn’t feel up to anything other than lying here with my eyes closed. I’m surprised I even woke while I still felt so drained. “I can’t wait any longer,” I argued, and Jongup wouldn’t say no. Instead, he touched my knee under the blanket and nodded, patting me once with an encouraging look.

“If you find him… I don’t know if you’d be able to find out where he is—I’ve tried and I can’t reach him at all—but maybe you can give him something to hold onto for now. Remind him you’re still here and let him know we’re coming for him. If I know anything about how Hoseok felt when he fell, it’s that he feels powerless. Remind him he has allies, and I’m sure it’ll help.”

I wiped at tears as they started to fall again, then nodded, sniffing gently, and sat up against the arm of the couch. I bunched the blanket up against my chest for comfort and closed my eyes. There had to be some connection there from before that I could search for; Namjoon said it wouldn’t be difficult. Well, it would, I’m sure. Not even Jongup could reach him. But maybe our bond could fix that. I clung to that hope and reached out, more tears spilling down my cheeks the more I tried, because it felt agonisingly useless, and god I was tired.

Time seemed to bring nothing but empty effort for so long that quitting felt like the safest option. Jongup interrupted me twice, reminding me that he could literally feel my spirit struggling and detect how fatigued I was. It made him terribly worried, and I knew he wouldn’t have interrupted if he didn’t think it desperate. Nothing changed at all for so long that I’d almost cried myself back to sleep by the time I finally felt myself grasping something familiar. I wasn’t in tune at all with my physical self the moment I felt him respond. The earth could have shook and I’d have been too distracted to notice.

Hoseok’s presence felt so real and warm that I suddenly buried myself deep inside that feeling and spread out to engulf as much of it as possible. So familiar, and so suddenly responsive, I knew right away that this was the mind of my Angel. Hoseok’s spirit had a specific feel that nobody else’s did. Not the few I’d touched, anyway. There was a place for me there in his soul, and I didn’t have to try to occupy it. As soon as I found him, it took nothing else to linger with him, embracing his otherworldly company. I flooded him with all of my emotions in an attempt to demonstrate how much I missed him and needed him. I didn’t mean to drown him with my agony, but it was all I had left.

Hoseok stayed with me, pushing subtle emotions back and pulling me in as much as I was pushing. It was like nothing I ever thought to feel, our minds intertwined and sharing everything while our bodies were so far apart. I had no idea where he was or what he was doing, but his mind was alert and receptive, and he was in as much pain as I was. I stayed with him for as long as I could, anguish slowly turning to relief as I felt his presence strengthen. It was like he was getting closer, but I couldn’t be sure. It all seemed too good to be true after a while, and finally my soul gave out, leaving me to pass out again, but this time in the comfort of a makeshift bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought for a sickening moment that I had awoken in a dream when the first thing I saw was the love of my life staring down at me. Hoseok’s eyes suddenly widened, and a totally relieved smile tore across his face, only to be replaced by a heartbroken look as he burst into tears and wrapped himself around me. Only then did I realise that this wasn’t a dream.

“Hoseok?” At my quiet, shocked inquiry, he sniffled a few times, gathering me in his arms and moving to nuzzle his face beside mine. As my sleepy haze cleared, I moved to return his embrace, slowly coming to terms with reality. I was too shocked even to cry right then, still in some way disbelieving that he was really right here, safe in my arms again as I’d prayed and prayed he’d soon be. We laid like that for long enough for it to feel real, and then finally he drew away just enough to look in my eyes.

Gentle hands cupped my cheeks while we shared a few long moments of reassurance, and I reached up to touch his hands. My fingers stroked through his and then down towards his wrists, but the touch of unexpected fabric on his otherwise bare arms drew my attention away. He noticed right away and attempted to distract me with a careless shake of his head and a tiny smile, but a glance to his wrists made my heart skip a beat and my stomach drop with sickness.

“Why are you wearing bandages?” My voice was hoarse and weak, and it made pain crease his brows.

“I need a little time to heal, that’s all.” His fingers traced the line of my jaw and then moved to stroke my hair. “Don’t let it worry you, I beg you.”

I wouldn’t be completely reassured that easily, but I could put it aside for now. “When did you get here? How-…”

Hoseok seemed to ready himself to explain everything to me, and we made a silent decision to snuggle together under the blanket on the couch that all of a sudden seemed tiny. “When I felt you, I was so shocked and… and motivated that you had the power to do that. I hadn’t thought I’d be powerful enough to break out of where I was held, but you showed me I was wrong.”

I tucked my head under his chin and let his warm body and rich scent be the constant reminder I needed that he was really here. “What even happened in the first place? You disappeared in the night…”

“It isn’t at all clear to me how I was captured, even after Jongup and Namjoon explained it to me, but I felt the Vampires near when you were sleeping and went to investigate. I’m sure that was their plan, because they knew they could immobilise me. I was taken to a holding where Jiho-…” he paused, seeming to redirect his sentence. “Where I was questioned with the intention of finding out about you.”

I knew nothing could make him tell me things he didn’t want me to know, so for the sake of my calmness in that moment, I moved on. “He hurt you,” I whispered, gingerly holding one of his bandaged hands.

Hoseok hesitated before speaking about it. “The methods of securing me were less than ideal.”

“And so why haven’t you healed?”

Hoseok dipped his head so he could place a soft kiss on my cheek, and it made butterflies start in my tummy. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Then sleep,” I urged, but he shook his head.

“Not until we’re back with the company. You need to be with your brother.”

We cuddled like that for just a little while longer before I felt human enough to face anyone else again. Namjoon—who Hoseok had clearly been acquainted with while I was unconscious—greeted me with a soft smile, his fingers laced with Donghyuk’s as they sat at the dining table. Donghyuk leapt up a moment later and trotted over to me, an expression of elation on his face.

“You did it!” he cried, and Hoseok squeezed my hand a little, making me glance at him with a raise of my eyebrows.

“I guess so… I still don’t really know how.”

“You’ve got a big heart,” Donghyuk assured me with a soft punch to my shoulder. “I bet you could do anything you wanted.” His words shook me deeply, making me think a little harder about how I’d seen myself all of my life. I’d always been too small or too weak to do so many things, and felt like I couldn’t ever be like my father because of my fearfulness and timidity. Only one other person had complemented me in such an empowering way, and of course that was Hoseok.

“You’re not a coward, Yoongi... You fear for Jungkook more than yourself; that’s noble. That’s just love.”

Noble. I hadn’t thought much of it when he said it, but it affected me then when Donghyuk was complementing me too. I forced out my awkward gratitude with a small smile, and then glanced over to Jongup as he joined us where we stood.

“So, you’ll be taking your leave, now?” Namjoon assumed, and I nodded, stepping forward to show him a low bow.

“I can’t thank you enough… I’d never have found him without you.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, but nonetheless, I’m glad I could be of service.” He accompanied us to the front door and made sure we had everything we needed before departing, and I returned a warm hug from the other immortal.

“Don’t hesitate to drop by any time, okay? Not a lot of others out there like us, you know.”

I nodded with a smile and patted his arm. “I’ll be sure to visit soon.”

For the first time, I was excited to let Hoseok wrap me in his arms and take to the sky. We weren’t out of hot water yet, but I was too relieved to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	41. Next Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok

~

We arrived at a small cabin filled with our companions, and were welcomed by the excitement and affection of Jungkook and his Wolf. Once inside, I noticed I’d clearly missed a lot, beginning with the initiation of my charge’s once-human brother. Luckily, it seemed to have gone well. His aura swirled with a touch of darkness—a reddish-purple of Incubus influence—and it was clear he had absolutely no idea it was there. I assumed the other Hunters planned to work on that soon. Recognising his half-Demon soul was the first step to controlling it and, eventually, utilising it.

The next obvious change involved Taehyung, and the Hunter snuggled protectively beside him in front of the fireplace. There was a strong and clear bond there between them, and it had changed almost everything about the Hunter’s aura. I hardly recognised the feel of him. At a brief glance, however, it seemed the change was for the better. I didn’t have much time to really take in anything else. Yoongi was back in my arms as soon as he’d greeted his brother, and I felt his weakness weigh us down.

We reclined on a couch in quiet warmth for a while, letting the goings-on continue quietly as we regained our strength. Yoongi slept peacefully against my chest. I knew we weren’t totally safe, but I had never felt so calm in my life. Jongup seemed distant and distracted, but took a moment to approach us silently while Yoongi slept.

“Your wounds are severe,” he observed, his voice low so not to disturb my human.

After a small nod, I looked down at my bandaged wrists. “I’m not sure I have the strength to heal them right now.”

Jongup didn’t hesitate before reaching his hand to the back of my head, and then gently resting it at my nape. His touch was both comforting and alarming. Through him, I immediately felt his connection to Heaven… something I hadn’t felt in a while, and was a little startled to miss. It felt like power—all the power I used to have complete and total access to. I willed away the longing for such easy-access to forces I no longer controlled. The Dragon had told me I had no need for Heaven; it only felt that way because I hadn’t been trained to access my power on my own.

“It’s another one of those things they withhold from you to keep you loyal.” His words piqued my curiosity, and distracted me from Yoongi’s unconsciousness for a while. “Angels are just as powerful without Heaven. You just have to look for it, instead of expecting it to be there waiting for you to use.”

I hadn’t really believed my strength would be anywhere near as great after falling, but Namjoon showed me that my fear was misplaced. He was known as one of the most powerful spirits in our world. According to him, there was nothing that said I was any less powerful.

Jongup’s healing made my wrists sting and burn, and my whole body stiffened under sleeping-Yoongi. I hadn’t been in this kind of pain in a long time. It wasn’t unbearable, but it made it a challenge to keep still and quiet. He stopped after a few minutes, and I felt how much it had drained him. I wasn’t completely healed, but it’d made a world of difference, and I raised a hand to clasp with his in thanks. The smile he returned was soft and weak, but mostly distracted.

“Rest,” he whispered, and left quietly with a glance at my sleeping human. With my wounds no longer in pain, I decided that that was a good idea. When would I get another chance to recharge?

I slept almost as immediately as Yoongi had, but it felt like no time had passed before I was rudely awoken by the violent roar of a Lycan. Annoyingly, I recognised the Wolf, and thought he’d know better than to come charging in here at one of our companions. No matter what the cause, Lycans were often uncontrollable, and anyone could have been hurt. I threw myself at him almost as quickly as Jongup did, glad he wore his emotions so plainly that we knew his intentions. It was almost as shocking to realise that a Hunter was allowing a Vampire to feed from him, but that was beside the point. Youngjae was consenting—according to his spirit, quite willingly—and Daehyun had no right to react with violence. Reason, maybe, but no right.

Jongup and I held onto the beast, and he suddenly shifted into a more human form, though made much the same noises, growling ferociously as he writhed in our grip.

“Calm down, Daehyun,” I tried to reassure him, though my voice was harsh with the effort of restraining the emotional Demon. “He’ll be fine.”

The Wolf didn’t agree, and made our job difficult as we tried to hold him. Finally, the Vampire finished feeding and released the weak-looking Hunter who slumped to the couch with jelly-legs. Jongup left Daehyun to me and went to help Youngjae, healing him straight away. He didn’t seem to care—was totally buzzed on the bite. When he had some strength back, he shot daggers at the Wolf, his jaw clenching.

“Get out of here, you dumb dog. I offered.”

I could feel the tension between them in that moment without even touching their souls. Daehyun made sad sounds like a young, injured canine, and seemed to hardly notice when the other Angel silently left with Himchan. The door swung shut behind them with a bang, but the only thing on Daehyun’s mind was the Hunter, so I let him go. The Wolf was on Youngjae in a second, but I turned back to take Yoongi somewhere else for the time being, knowing he’d prefer to sleep in peace than stay in here where there was likely to be an argument.

My sleepy human had woken very suddenly at the beginning of the commotion, and was curled up on the furthest end of the couch watching me approach. I beckoned for the door, and he came with me, immediately sticking himself to my side. Out in the cold, we trudged through snow until reaching the van, and I figured it would be a good escape for now. Conveniently, there were blankets inside, which Yoongi found whilst I worked the heating, and he laid them across the back seat so he could immediately recline again.

“Are you okay?” he asked me before I had a chance to ask him the same thing.

“Of course,” I replied, smiling at him as I climbed through the slowly-warming vehicle to get to the back seat. “Never better.”

“And your wrists?” He reached out for my hands when I was close enough to touch, and I rotated a single car-seat to face him and sat by his head, my bandaged hands resting in his.

“Great. Jongup helped me.”

Yoongi nodded, looking over the white, red-strained strapping, his thumbs stroking where they could reach. “I thought I lost you…”

His words sent a feeling through me that sliced like a blade, and from the way his teary eyes slowly slid up to meet mine, I was sure he could feel it too. “I thought I failed.”

Yoongi shook his head, hair messing up on the fluffy brown blanket under his head. “There’s no mission anymore, Hoseok. I love you as well, and I want to protect you…”

It seemed like he could have said more, but he choked up and stopped himself, closing his eyes gently as tears overflowed. I bent down to press a kiss to his cheek, lingering for a while, still reeling from being safe with him again. After a small sniffle, he reached up and wrapped his arms around me, encouraging me closer, and I couldn’t refuse. I settled myself over him and bundled him up again, holding him against me just like before, and his tears fell against my chest. I thought we’d stay like this for a while, maybe sleep again, but Yoongi’s spirit stirred in a way I hadn’t even begun to forget.

As his shaky hands relaxed, he moved deliberate touches across my back, and his lips sought mine. This Yoongi was always a comfort to me. It was a reminder that he felt safe with me, and—not that I had any reason to doubt it—that he loved and wanted me. He kicked his shoes off and moved himself further under me to be lying flat on his back, beginning to kiss me the way he only did at times like this: when his heart was on fire and his soul was seeking mine. For once, there was not even a second of hesitant shyness in him. Yoongi brimmed with ecstatic joy and familiar lust.

We shared the last few precious hours of the night together, lucky to have no disturbances while we slept, and joined our companions in the cabin after dawn. Some slept, and some were so alert they were positively riled. The Hunters, for starters, and Daehyun, who I didn’t expect to see there, were apparently in the middle of something, causing the tension in the room. Youngjae was as far away from the beta wolf as the tiny cabin allowed, which explained the wall he had up over his emotions. I assumed their confrontation hadn’t gone well last night.

Everyone awake turned to look as we entered, making Yoongi glance around uneasily. “What now?” he begged, frustratedly slumping his shoulders.

“I...” Jongup began, and my human and I turned to give him our attention. His hesitation worried me. “... I was visited by my Archangel last night...”

My eyes widened for a moment before my brow furrowed a little. This can't be good.

“And?” I asked, ushering Yoongi towards the crackling fire. Its light made Jungkook and Taehyung glow yellow as they slept cosily beside it, and Yoongi crept to the space between them and sat down quietly, immediately beginning to warm his hands. I could tell he was still very in tune with the conversation, even when I left to stand closer to the speaker.

“I've been put on a waiting list to be reassigned, so... I'm expected to return to Heaven.”

The sombre look on his face showed me how he felt about that, so I needn't ask.

“So when do you plan to leave?”

He sighed, holding my gaze strongly. “I haven't decided.” I felt some other hesitance in that statement. With that, he looked towards the demon to his left, sitting curled up on a couch, and his eyes turned more sad than stern. “I feel like there's too much left here to do for me to leave right away.”

I nodded, grateful for his dedication to our cause, though disappointed that be would leave us soon. “Don't feel pressured by our journey, friend. Your contribution thus far has been more than we were owed.”

Youngjae was the first to interrupt the silence. “Yoongi, the next move is up to you, whether it be proceeding towards your goal or heading back home. Just know we will follow you whatever you choose.”

My human's aura trembled with a sense of disbelieving gratefulness. He couldn't grasp why these near-strangers were so willingly helping him. He quietly rose to join the conscious and placed himself right on my lap like a child. His gaze lingered on the floor, seeing nothing, while he thought, and finally he looked up at the smallest Hunter. “I can't give up now.”

Youngjae's brow spiked briefly on one side, and his crossed arms unfurled as he stood. Rather than at all frustrated or mockingly amused, like it looked, he seemed genuinely surprised. “I see where your brother gets his courage.”

Yoongi gulped quietly, that same feeling of disbelief so obvious in his spirit that I was sure even the Hunters noticed. I wrapped my arms around his waist for comfort and convinced him to relax against me.

The Hunter continued. “If you want my advice, I'd say we should gather a company to find us a portal. Go right to the source.”

The room suddenly filled with clashing waves of fear, more disbelief, and a touch of confusion. The disbelief was mine, Jongup's, and Daehyun's more than anyone else’s.

“A portal. You want us to... Yoo Youngjae.” Yongguk rose to his feet and faced the younger. “Do you even know what we're up against if we go to Hell? Worse, if we bring a human?”

Even the idea of finding a portal to Hell was terrifying enough for me, but going there? I knew what we'd be up against as well as any Angel, and I was ready to veto that idea as soon as anyone began to take it seriously. Jongup glanced at me for a moment, then turned his wide eyes back to Youngjae.

“Yoongi needs to solve this if he ever wants peace for him and anyone he loves. What better way than to go to the source?” Youngjae seemed set in his opinion, and I needed to calm down before I answered. It wasn't just my own terror that worried me at this point, but the lack of shock and horror in my human. He was alarmingly calm.

“Since this bounty is a direct order from Hell, don't you think it would make it worse to go closer to the demon who wants him dead?” Yongguk asked.

Seokjin seemed to agree. “Just offer him to Lucifer on a silver platter, why don't you.”

“The bounty is an order from Lilith,” Himchan breathed quietly from the corner of the room. My eyes fell on him, brows creasing. He shrugged a little, looking at Seokjin and then Youngjae. “The demoness does the overlord's bidding, but she has an agenda of her own as well. Nobody said this 'bounty' had anything to do with Lucifer.”

There was a long silence while his words were carefully considered.

Daehyun's spoke first. “Have you been to hell, Vampire?”

The timid Demon nodded. “Of course. We end up there after our human selves die. We only rise as Vampires if we make our way out.”

Youngjae spun 45 degrees on his computer chair to face me and the other Hunters, one leg crossed over the other, and spread his hands in a victorious gesture. “There we go, comrades: we've found our guide.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	42. The Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Himchan  
> (*distant author screaming cos I love this ship*)

~

There was a thick blanket of tension across everyone in the cabin when the dark-haired Werewolf suddenly tensed and mumbled ‘Yoongi…’ His expression changed to slight fear for a moment, making the young Hunter touch his arm, panic in his eyes. After a little while, he relaxed, and he comforted the boy beside him.

“He’s okay,” he whispered, and then cleared his throat as though embarrassed his voice came out so soft.

“What happened?” another Hunter asked, and the Wolf looked up at him.

“He… I guess he reached out to me… but it felt urgent.”

Silence hung between us for a little longer, and then finally another Hunter spoke. “He can contact you from there? I didn’t know he could soul-speak.”

I hadn’t heard telepathic communication referred to that way before, but it seemed the Hunters had their own words for everything these days. There was a little more discussion amongst them while I sat quietly by myself, simply enjoying the fleeting freedom from that ever-present Angel.

The Wolf shrugged, and the tension in the room relaxed until it was at least comfortable enough for soft conversations to begin again. I wished I felt human enough to join in. I wished nobody here was suspicious of me, or made uncomfortable by what I am. There was nothing I could do about that now, however, and I planned to be of as much use to this pack of adventurers as I could while I was here, because soon, they would be able to help me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Himchan~”

My toes curled at that voice: loud, high, and jarring, like the clatter of metal on a tiled floor. I turned at the call, hardly resisting the urge to let my eye twitch. Veronika tilted her angelic head when she met my eyes, hers shining crimson for some awful reason I feared I was about to discover. 

“It’s my turn today~”

I shuddered slightly. Yes, I definitely didn’t want to know that. As a young, promising Thrall amongst my coven, I was what they called ‘Fresh Blood’, having lived less than 20 years as a Vampire. I had no standing among the members, and acted as the clan-wide ‘magnae.’ In this society, being the magnae came with a fair few more responsibilities than in the human world. I was expected not only to obey every order of my seniors, but to ensure their comfort at all times. My days were filled with entertaining Guardians, Keepers, Hunters, Ascendants, and sometimes Elders in every training break. This particular kind of ‘entertainment,’ however, was one with which I’d never be okay.

The blood-red gaze of my senior trailed down the dark robes I wore, halting only to return to my face with a sultry leer. I faced her obediently, terrified of opposing an Ascendant, not to mention one so precious to the Royals. Despite her bond with Yukwon, she continued to enjoy bi-monthly ‘feeds,’ on me. If it were only feeding, it may have been more tolerable.

The Vampire darted her tongue out to lick at her black lips, her fangs already showing.

“My lady,” I answered in a whisper, weakness coming to my knees at the thought of letting her abuse me like this again. I drifted away from myself as she did, pretending the sting of her bites were training injuries, and the pleasure from her body was from a mutual lover. I came back a while after she finished, feeling even more empty and used than the time before. Sixteen years since I’d turned. Sixteen long, slave-like years I’d been a Thrall in this clan, each one more unbearable than the last.

It happened to be one of the very sources of my torture that brought me the answer to my prayers. As an older pair used my body one warm evening before a hunt, they focused more on each other than me, and their conversation roused me from my disengagement.

“Good thing we’re hunting tonight… was almost tempted to bite that pathetic little spirit—see if it’d taste as good as little Chan here…” The dark-haired Keeper, Dominic, held my wrist at his lips, slowly licking around the wound his partner, Prince Jiseok, had made there hours earlier. By this point I’d bled enough for three humans to have been long drained, but with my youth came the ability to replace it almost immediately. I acted as an obedient, free blood factory for them, and with it they took as much pleasure from my body as they wished.

“As long as she wasn’t an Angel,” the prince seemed to joke, making slow, lewd movements between my spread legs that I wish I couldn’t feel and watching Dominic coat his mouth and chin in my blood. Jiseok leered at me, seeming to notice that I’d suddenly tuned in, and he half-grinned, exposing larger fangs than I’d seen on anyone else his age—proof of his royalty. I hadn’t noticed his bites hurting more than usual, probably because I was long gone inside myself when they began.

The Prince continued, seeming to want to keep me present and seeing that he could do so with such a topic. “Angel blood steals your gift away… makes you mortal.” His lips turned up in a snarl at the last word, and his body shoved harder against me. I was much too present, feeling Dominic’s tongue and lips against the sensitive flesh of my wrist, feeling the prince so deep inside me that I groaned and felt my fangs descend against my will. I wasn’t allowed to bite them, but I’d let myself feel them enough to want to, and tears sprang to my eyes with frustration.

“It’s their defense,” he explained, deliberately teasing me now, “so we can’t see their memories.” His voice was so low and dark, so seductive that it made me tremble. Dominic moved his mouth to somewhere I wanted it even less, and I couldn’t have tuned out again at that point no matter how much I wanted to. It didn’t matter now, though. I had the answer I had wanted for so long. I could become mortal again. I could go back to my life. I could escape this hell. I could be human.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I snapped from my musings with the memory of the Vampire Prince exploding into ashes and gore from a Demon Hunter’s deadly bullet. The image hadn’t brought me any joy. Jiseok had never been the worst of my seniors, and even stood up for me at one point. It didn’t sadden me, either. It made me afraid, because I needed these Hunters to help me, and it showed me how easily—and readily—they could kill me. I followed them as they left, anyway. I fled easily in the cover of night as the coven mourned their losses. Jiseok’s death distracted them from the escape of a single young Thrall. I didn’t know how long it would take for them to notice I was missing, or even if they’d care. Having decided to leave them made me no longer a Thrall, but a Shadow… an outcast. Hopefully that wouldn’t matter. If I was safe from these Hunters and their Angel, then I knew I was in no danger from my clan.

“Do Vampires sleep?”

The question came from much closer to me than I expected. It was the Hunter boy, his bright eyes curiously in mine. After a moment of shock, staring at him for a little too long, I blinked and opened my mouth to answer, but I wasn’t sure what to say.

“Yes… they do.”

Seeming pleased with that answer, he nodded slowly looking away, and then turned back to me suddenly. I was sitting on a wooden chair at the end of the room, far from the warm fire, and he had managed to sneak over to sit on the arm of the couch closest to me without me even noticing. Too lost in my reminiscing, I supposed.

“I just wondered cos it seems spirits don’t really sleep much but Demons do, like Werewolves.” He was very much like a child in that moment, just chatting, and I watched him almost as curiously as he looked at me. I couldn’t figure out how he could be so youthful and already a Demon Hunter. It didn’t seem right.

“Vampires maintain similar functions to Humans, like Werewolves. Most Spirits are different.”

My explanation seemed to satisfy him, and he nodded with an ‘ahhh’ of realisation. “So you were once human?” he asked.

“That’s right… I was changed eighteen years ago.”

“You’ve been a Vampire as long as I’ve been alive,” he said with a big smile that crinkled his eyes, and I felt suddenly and confusingly protective of him. I was still shocked that he could be a Hunter, like the stoic trio on the other side of the cabin. I wanted him to keep that cheerful smile, and his innocent curiosity. Everybody should love life like that. “But you look only the same age as me…”

“Physically we’re almost the same age… I stopped aging when I… turned.”

The kid didn’t miss my hesitance to talk about it, but his curiosity won out over his empathy. “Why are you here with us and not back with the other Vampires?”

That was an easy question to answer, but I didn’t want to say it so blatantly. It would have been a good time since the Angel was absent, but it still didn’t feel right to so unashamedly state that I wanted to use him for my own selfish wishes. I was ashamed. “I don’t think I belong with them…”

He took that answer and nodded again, accepting it. I looked up suddenly when a Wolf approached us, the one that stank of nothing but his bond with this boy. It was like he wore it on his sleeve, pushing it on everyone he was around. Such a Wolf thing, I thought. His imprinted Human could have passed as unbonded if not for the way his Wolf waved the fact around, making sure not a single spirit missed out on it. He made sure it was the first thing you noticed about him, even if you weren’t looking for it. So possessive.

The Demon rested a protective hand on his Human’s shoulder, pinning me with a look that could freeze hell over, but only for a moment. He sat on the couch beside his lover and turned away from me. Apparently he just wanted to remind me who the Human belonged to. Right, I thought, never would have noticed.

I had a question for the Human then, mostly because I was fond of the idea of annoying his Wolf. “Are you worried for your brother?”

The boy nodded, pursing his lips and looking away for a few moments. “I am, but I think he’s going somewhere safe, right? Not towards a fight. Jiminie said he heard him just before, so he must be okay.”

I nodded at that, attempting to look encouraging. “You’ve no reason to fear another Fallen. Angels are righteous. I’m sure only good can come of their trip.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Around an hour passed with simple conversation and bouts of comfortable silence among us, during which I noticed more about my company. The taller Hunter was named Yongguk, and he had a noticeable bond as well, though it wasn’t as strong as the boy’s. The Hunter with auburn hair who sat with an orange-haired Wolf was called Seokjin, and he was never far from his weapons, even though we all knew we sat in a safe-zone. He was the least obvious about his bond when I touched around his soul, but the most outwardly obvious about his feelings for the Wolf. They almost never stopped holding hands, and he treated his Demon, Taehyung, with the utmost care and affection. Neither seemed to even care they had company, sitting by themselves near the fire and sharing whispers and subtle kisses to fingers. The smallest Hunter tapped away at a portable computer so quickly and endlessly that it was the only noise in the room that never halted. Even when he looked up—brows creased in concentration—to talk to his colleagues, he continued to type as though he had no reason to even look at what he was doing. He radiated a powerful mind, and not even in a spiritual way. Youngjae, I’d heard.

The couple at my side were Jungkook—the soft and important Hunter—and Jimin—the annoying sour-Wolf. It intrigued me to just watch everybody and be in their company. I’d lived almost as long as a Vampire as I had a Human, so I had all but forgotten about the interactions between those who were not like me. There was so much trust between them, and a lot more love than I was used to. There was purpose outside killing and feeding. There was camaraderie and friendship. This group was drawn together by mutual willingness to do right, support those they love, protect and serve. I forgot how much I missed these very human values, having learnt only to survive in my position, valuing nothing but my precious little time alone.

I hadn’t even considered wanting anything other than escape for so long—peace and quiet—that when I walked into this company for the first time, I was taken completely off guard by my unexpected inquisitiveness and violent craving to learn more about the Angel. It had little to nothing to do with how he could help me. That was my main goal for coming here, but the moment I saw him, that all changed. I stayed now because I wanted to meet him. I wanted to sit with him and talk like the Hunter by the fire with his Wolf. I wanted to feel his skin and reassure myself that he was real. The last thing I wanted now was to ask him to let me drink his blood. I would stay this way forever if…if only he’d let me know him.

Taehyung was the first in the room to react to a presence that caught us all off guard. His head whipped up and turned towards the east, making his Hunter look at him more deeply, concern on his face as he tilted his head. Jimin noticed next, and by then I had felt them too. More specifically, I felt him.

“Is it them?” Jungkook asked, his voice high with excitement, and Jimin’s face lit up with excitement.

“Hoseok is back!” he shouted, taking half a second to squeeze his lover’s hands with his eyes locked in the younger’s, and then he was up and out the door, racing with Taehyung to meet him first. I sat stiffly inside while the older Hunters lingered on the other side of the room, having the patience to wait for the company to enter the cabin. After what sounded like an emotional reunion outside, the company poured into the tiny cabin, and it was suddenly very crowded. I became even more rigid looking for the Angel I wanted to see, but he didn’t enter. I felt him outside, lingering, but was momentarily distracted by the new Angel and his dimmer, softer presence. He glanced at me, with a look that was nothing if not friendly, and I figured he must have been told I was no trouble. It wasn’t a look I expected from a Spirit I hadn’t met.

As all attention left me entirely, I felt the need for a breath of fresh air. It didn’t help that it’d been weeks since I last fed, and there were suddenly too many warm bodies around for comfort. I sidled around the crowd silently and checked briefly that the sun had indeed gone down. Outside, I immediately met gazes with the Angel. Moon Jongup. He stood stiffly, his back straight and his left hand holding his right wrist. The only movement was gentle breathing and his thumb circling the inside of his wrist. Startled by being alone with him, I closed the door to the cabin behind me and stood just as still. Jongup’s head lifted a little, and he blinked once before turning away from me. Massive white wings almost shone in the moonlight, seeming as soft as the snow beneath his feet. He walked slowly towards the forest, and without a moment’s hesitation, I followed.

In a thicket surrounded by pines, the ground covered with snow to my knees, Jongup slowed to a crawl, fingers brushing the bark of the nearest tree. He looked towards it, then circled around it, his fingers tracing a half circle until he faced me on the other side. I froze, confronted by his eyes once again. He looked so curiously at me, and I wondered if I was the first Vampire he’d met. Not sure if I loved or hated his intense yet calm eyes, I continued to stare back.

“I know why you came,” he eventually claimed. I gulped and finally tore my eyes away, looking down at the snow. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” I questioned suddenly, looking back in his eyes with surprise.

Jongup nodded sadly, holding my gaze, his brow creasing. “I want to give you what you want, but it’s not that simple.”

I shook my head and trudged closer, just a little, because his presence was so intense that I wasn’t even sure I could get too close to him without being overwhelmed. “It’s not important, I-… am just glad I’m away from them.” Jongup nodded at that, and seemed to have little else to say. I continued instead. “You saved your friend,” I said a little more cheerfully. “Well done.”

Jongup breathed a small laugh. “I did nothing. It’s the Quarter Demon who did all the work.” He shook his head slightly, eyes squinting in what seemed like marvel. “Humans are much stronger than us, you know.” I wondered at his words, attempting to see what he meant, and he elaborated. “They feel such powerful emotions… they love so strongly and unconditionally. They’d do anything for the ones they love, despite the greatest impossibilities. Even my fallen friend had quit when he thought he could go no further, but his Human… Yoongi jumped every hurdle with nothing but determination on his side, and… he succeeded. He’s much stronger than us.” Jongup suddenly touched his wrist again, an almost unconscious action, and he held my eyes while his thumb traced the skin there. “It’s… so sad how fragile they are…”

More shocking than the sudden trembling in his spirit was the sight of tears streaking his cheeks, sliding symmetrically across the perfect skin on either side. I felt my soul shake, and was frozen to the spot for just a moment before I started towards him. Jongup watched me without looking in my eyes, and I stopped immediately in front of him. I touched the tree he half hid behind before reaching to take his hand. He let me turn it palm up, and we both looked at the faded symbol that decorated his skin like a scar. Blue veins showed through the damaged skin that was in the shape of the Greek letter Mμ.

It came back to me suddenly that a Human had been killed that day, when the invasion led to Jiseok and Yukwon’s deaths. I hadn’t realised until now that the Human had been Jongup’s charge. I didn’t know much about Angels, but I discovered right then how much a loss like this affected them. Jongup cried silently in front of me, his breaths trembling while he stared at the symbol. His spirit showed so much grief, tainted by self-disappointment and anger. I was shocked to notice he wasn’t at all angry at me, however. I reasoned that he should have been—it was my kind and my clan that did this to his charge. But he rested no blame on me. The most shocking part was that he really leant on me, resting his arm in my hold and opening his grief to me, not only letting me feel it but hoping to share if only for a little comfort. I was thrilled he gave me the opportunity, because if nothing else, I wanted to help take the pain away.

I didn’t remember the last time I felt so rewarded for something as simple as giving comfort. Jongup was quiet for a while, and by the time he calmed, he seemed totally grateful. “I wish I could help you, Himchan,” he whispered into the still night, his breath still warm when it brushed my skin. My fingers slid hesitantly towards his, and his words were forgotten when I laced my fingers with his. His spirit suddenly swirled with interest in the action, and his eyes lifted to mine.

It was all I could ask for that my attempt at showing affection fascinated him. After all, he could have pulled away. Instead, he held onto my hand and relaxed. I almost felt comfortable around him then. I would have stayed despite the slight discomfort if he hadn’t noticed, and it made him pat the back of my hand with his free one.

“You thirst,” he stated, pointing out something I had prayed he wouldn’t notice. It reminded me of his power.

“I’ll cope,” I all but whispered, and he smiled slightly, his cheeks finally dried so he looked half-way to recovery already,

“If I can’t cure you, I can at least ease your suffering.”

It was my turn to be confused then, but I followed when he tugged on my hand, beginning towards the cabin again. When we arrived, half of the company had left. I figured he was waiting for that. Remaining inside were Youngjae, Yoongi, and his Angel. They all looked up as we approached, and I tried to let go of the Angel’s hand out of shyness, he seemed to not even notice, holding on comfortably. The new Angel seemed to be a little curious about me as he sat behind his Human on the couch, wrapped around him like a protective blanket. Yoongi stared right at our hands, a slight crease in his brow alluding to his curiosity. That only exaggerated my shyness.

“Yoo Youngjae,” Jongup said a moment after a brief greeting. The Hunter looked up from his computer, and this time he stopped typing, his gaze also falling on our linked hands for a moment. By now I imagined I was flushing red if the heat in my face was anything to go by. “I have a request, and it makes sense to refuse, so I’m asking with no conviction. We’re host to a guest with difficult sustenance requirements… and your soul is immune.” He left it open, and I almost interrupted, horrified.

Youngjae almost flinched, and hardly attempted to hide the slight squeamishness on his face. With a deep breath and an exaggerated sigh, he turned his face away and swallowed thickly before nodding. “Okay… before I have time to regret it.”

At his acceptance, I felt bile rise in my throat. Did a Hunter who owed me nothing just agree to let me feed from him? I stared at Jongup even before he turned back to look at me, and he immediately comforted me by squeezing my hand. “I can heal him immediately, Himchan. Don’t let it worry you.”

I wanted to fight this, but suddenly an almost dizzy bloodlust overtook all of the hesitance, and I felt Jongup’s hand slip from mine as I approached the Hunter in his seat. Youngjae moved his laptop to a table and suddenly stood, looking a little defensive but not frightened. I sighed a little louder than I meant to as I let my body change, fangs descending, eyes adjusting, black veins rising to the surface of my skin as I prepared.

“Almost as s-scary as Lycans up close…” Youngjae mumbled as he offered me his arm, and I definitely scared him a little when I batted it away, reaching for his shoulder. I didn’t miss his pulling away, suddenly tense all over like the unsuspecting Humans I had attacked in the past. It didn’t stop me. I tugged at his jacket to bare his shoulder, pushing his shirt back over the milky skin and pressing my face against the muscle before starting. He inhaled sharply, anticipating it, and trembled in the grip I didn’t notice I had on him. I noticed none of the tension in the room, just his rapid breaths and the translucent look of his skin now with my new vision.

I closed my eyes as I traced a network of veins to the junction of his shoulder and neck, and wasted no time burying my fangs in deep to reveal the flow of his delicious-smelling blood. I’d never been good at this like the elders in my clan—they could feed with no mess, catching every drop as though they could anticipate the unique movement of his blood from his heartbeat. It pumped so strongly through here, gushing from the wounds as soon as I made them, and I might have thought to apologise for the mess were I not moaning from the pleasure of finally feeding. I never really craved blood since I recovered from the initial period of changing except the few moments while I fed. I couldn’t possibly stop myself while it happened, and I always fed until I was full. Luckily, I didn’t drink as much as my seniors, and Youngjae probably wouldn’t die from this.

He had suddenly stopped struggling the moment I bit him, probably in fear of hurting himself more, which made it much easier for me. I felt his spirit vibrating intensely, showing how the Vampire half of his soul reacted to such treatment. I couldn’t stop my spirit reaching into his then, and I wondered if this was what it would be like to bite another Vampire. He responded by gripping me back, and a lot of the pain he’d been feeling seemed to dissolve, replaced by a need almost as frantic as mine. I knew enough about my elders in the coven to know they enjoyed being bitten almost as much as biting, and it thrilled me to have him react in such a way.

The events following didn’t disturb my feeding at all, despite the calamity I heard behind me. I wasn’t shaken by the vicious roars or shouting, and continued feeding until I had my fill, holding Youngjae much more delicately now that the desire wasn’t so desperate. He clung to me as well, making small sounds of approval through slightly parted lips, his face turned so each pant brushed past my ear. It was by far the most pleasurable feed I’d ever had, and I didn’t have to kill him afterwards. I was reluctant to pull away even when I finished, because it just felt so intimate and mutual for the first time.

Youngjae whimpered as I removed my fangs, immediately covering the wound with his hand, and his brows creased suddenly as I assume pain set back in. I didn’t bother to wipe my face, knowing I’d just smear his blood even more. A distraught yelp dragged our attention towards the scene behind us. We were both startled by the sight of Jongup and Hoseok restraining a struggling, light-haired Anthrokos with piercing blue eyes. The Wolf’s fangs outshone mine so much so that I changed back suddenly, intimidated by the rage and distress he threw at me. Feeling comfortably strong again, I still didn’t feel like facing up to whatever beef he had with me. I let go of the Hunter and moved aside a little, and it took him slightly longer to let go of me. Jongup wrestled the snarling Demon into his grip alone and Hoseok rushed to Youngjae, laying a gentle hand on him to help the wound close and, I assume, return some blood to his body.

The Hunter came back to himself after a few moments, and there was a second of eye-contact between him and the Wolf. “Get out of here, you dumb dog,” he mumbled. I felt like he meant for his voice to be stronger, but didn’t have it in him right now. “I offered.”

The Wolf yelped again, a sad sound that shouldn’t have come out of such a human-like figure. As soon as Youngjae was strong enough to stand easily, Jongup sped past me, capturing my hand in his and dragged me outside. I wobbled a little on the first few steps, and then caught up easily as we trudged through the snow. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but having his hand in mine was all that really mattered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	43. Hellbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi

~

For three weeks we traveled together around the wilderness, moving south back into the USA and getting lost more times than we could count. Often the Wolf packs would come and go, sometimes just leaving their best to defend us. Twice we were attacked, once more brutally as it was during a lapse in our defenses. Jungkook, undergoing strict training, was growing every day into an apt fighter, and he proved competent to defend himself both battles. I felt less afraid after watching my companions fight for me. There was nothing I could do most of the time, though I was left with a gun that I wish I hadn't been taught to use. By the time three weeks had passed, I had been trained to hit three out of five bullseyes. That didn't give me confidence, that made me even more scared. That was until the third attack, when my self-defense was first required.

The assault came from nowhere. We had both packs with us, Daehyun's best fighters taking the outskirts and Shin Jiho's protecting our camp. The black Werewolves only noticed the Demons once they had already breached the white pack's defenses. Jongup, Himchan, and Youngjae were on a short expedition to find the portal site they thought was in the area. It was so early in the morning that the sun was still behind the mountains, though its light had begun to bring the sky out of its blackness. I still couldn't quite see what was going on as Hoseok hauled me up from my bed and scrambled to wrap my fingers around my pistol.

"Eyes open, love. They're here," he whispered in hushed fake-confidence.

I stumbled slightly when he let go of me, but sleep was gone from my mind. My eyes darted around, hands clinging to trigger and slide. It was quiet for a few seconds longer. Shock coursed through me as Wolves suddenly crashed through the trees a few hundred metres away, their snapping jaws chasing the assault of Demons in exactly my direction. Hoseok was between them and me, throwing blasts of light and energy that seemed to not only slow them, but to eradicate some too. I frantically wondered where the rest of the party had gone, terror gripping me at being unable to see my brother. I spun around, pointing my gun towards the sounds from another direction, when I suddenly spotted white Lycans and the rest of the Hunters. My shoulders slumped in momentary relief.

Despite the well-coordinated and powerful defense, the Demons advanced, pressing our party closer together in an almost complete circle until I felt entirely surrounded. I didn't let myself check which of our company fell in the battle, but kept my weapon drawn and my wits about me. It was lucky I did, because the few to slip past our defense came at me faster than anything I'd ever seen. I didn't have time to realise what they were--human-like and ready to kill me was all I noticed--and I focused all of myself on killing them before they killed me.

My first shot missed, but the next three sank true, burying deep into flesh with a small burst of black spraying from the wound as they recoiled. I kept my pistol pointed until they one-by-one began to glow from the inside out for less than a second before exploding in a bust of light and inhuman gore. I relaxed for a second before feeling a heavy body colide with mine. Hoseok... and then suddenly he fell, slumping lifeless to the ground with a blade rising out of his chest. I whirled on the offending Demon, stumbling back as I fired the rest of my clip into its chest. Gulping in terrified breaths, I watched as it shrieked from a skull-like face under its black hood and suddenly exploded into nothing.

A white Lycan bounded past me, almost knocking me over and glancing back for a moment, shining blue eyes locking in mine for a full second before it continued on, facing the enemies Hoseok had fallen running from. I kept my gun up, pointing it in every direction, waiting for the next attack, and trembles suddenly racked my chest. I couldn't stop myself from crying in fear for him, but I couldn't drop my guard yet. I gasped and tried not to choke on my sobs as I held them back, tears streaming down my face. A black Wolf suddenly returned to her Anthrokos form in front of me, looking me up and down for a moment as she walked towards me. She passed me to drop down on a knee beside Hoseok. I looked around, gun pointed wherever my eyes were, and noticed the fight was mostly over. I also noticed I was out of rounds, and I dug in my coat pocket to frantically reload.

The pistol I held thudded to the soil and leaf litter in as I dashed towards Hoseok, almost falling on my way. The Wolf had removed the blade and Hoseok was conscious again, though weaker than ever. Sobs almost took over me as I sank to my knees beside him, and I was soon joined and comforted by my brother and Taehyung.

The orange-haired Wolf tried a few times to get my attention, and when I met his eyes, he looked comforting, a tiny smile on his face, though his brows were created with sadness. "Hey, he's gonna be fine. The blade only immobilised him. Look, he's already healing!"

Taehyung's confidence helped my panic subside, and indeed, Hoseok's wound was closing slowly from the inside upwards. I rested my hands on his arm and let myself calm down, the shock slowly seeping out of my body. I felt the Wolf's hand in my hair, a wordless comfort before she stood and changed back into her Lupe and ran back to her pack. Sniffling, I mumbled a thank you and turned towards Jungkook. He pushed his fringe back from his face, glock still in hand, and smeared blood across his forehead.

Forgetting Hoseok for a moment, I noticed that the blood was at least partly his. "Jungkook, your head..." I reached towards him, but he gently caught my hands and eased me away.

"Forget about me, it's just a scratch. I'm going to find out if anyone else... needs help." I couldn't help but think he was instead going to say 'survived.' He stood and paced towards my gun and bent to pick it up. He turned and tossed it to me, and I let it thud to the ground again. "Keep your eyes open."

Two white Lupe lingered just metres from me, circling with bristling fur covered in blood, red and black. One had a gash across its face, crossing one blue eye. I let my guard down just a little, taking a hold of Hoseok's hand nearest me and watching his fluttering eyelids and slowly rising and falling chest.

"You... didn't need me to protect you..." Hoseok breathed weakly. "I turned away from them to save you, but... you saved yourself..."

I sobbed again as he lifted his other hand to cover mine. "You idiot! D-don't ever do that!" My voice was too broken to sound as hysterical as I wanted. Hoseok just laughed, which made me even more upset. I knew he'd never put his own safety before mine, and that made me angrier with him than ever. I glared furiously at the wound in his chest, almost healed now, and attempted to control my tears again.

A few hours later, the sun was just coming through the trees and our company was gathered and recuperating. It turned out to be Junhong who had the cut across his face, but it was no more than a pink scar now that I saw his human form. Yongguk was inspecting another wound on his waist, mumbling to him with the same angry look I had been giving Hoseok. Seokjin and Taehyung seemed to have gotten away with no more than a few bruises, but Daehyun was nowhere to be seen. He could have been with his pack, but I didn't feel him nearby. Jimin was cleaning Jungkook's head wound carefully, cooing at him lovingly, the only one not scolding his lover for getting hurt. For now, I was sure everyone would be okay, but I didn't feel relieved, only more frightened. The attacks were becoming rapidly more dangerous and large-scale, bringing more vicious and terrifying Demons to capture me, or worse, hurt my friends. If we didn't find a way to stop this soon, I'd consider letting them take me.

After the company was fed and appropriately cleaned-up, we were joined again by Youngjae, Jongup, and thankfully Daehyun. The Wolf had gone to warn them about the attack, and brought all but the Vampire back to us safely.

"Himchan is staying with the portal site," Youngjae informed us as he looked over his partners to make sure they were okay.

"You found it!" Seokjin exclaimed, his face lighting up, and the rest of the company turned towards Youngjae at attention. The smaller Hunter nodded, a tiny grin on his lips. Jongup rushed to the wounded to apply some of his magical first-aid, finishing with Hoseok who tried to deny it but ended up overpowered.

"Those fit to enter will come with us," Youngjae began. "The rest will guard the portal so we don't let any world-walkers world-walk their merry way out of Hell unhindered."

Everyone in the company suddenly stood tall and strong, making sure to look uninjured and fit, and Youngjae's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Guys. I can see which of you are unharmed and refreshed enough for this and which aren't. Be honest. Neither job is more important than the other."

Jimin was the first to withdraw his company. "Jungkook and I will stay out," he claimed, and my brother didn't argue. He was always the first to volunteer for dangerous and scary things, his interest usually rising exponentially with the amount of difficulty involved, but with this, he seemed to trust his Wolf.

Youngjae nodded, agreeing. "Any other Wolves want to sit out?" he asked, implication heavy in the request as he shot a glare at Daehyun. The ash-haired Anthrokos grinned, double fangs flashing in the first rays of dawn. Junhong volunteered to sit out as well, which, predictably, ruled Yongguk out. That left the Wolf packs likely to stay outside in defence of the portal, and the company continuing would consist of Youngjae, Seokjin, Taehyung, Hoseok, Jongup, Himchan, Daehyun, and myself.

The small Hunter sighed heavily and came to help finish packing up. The look he gave Daehyun would have frozen a lesser being, but the Beta just continued his grinning, looking wolfy as ever, and making the Hunter's aura glow rapidly redder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a small clearing of the forest by a huge, waist-height tree-stump, Himchan leant against a pine tree until we approached. He stood upright and smiled softly at each of us, beckoning to the stump at his side.

"Ta-da~" he said, cuter than I expected from him, and I smiled back unexpectedly.

"What now?" Seokjin asked, looking around as he approached the stump. It was a few metres in diameter, Likely once the biggest tree I'd have ever seen. As I got closer, I realised the top was inscribed with strange symbols arranged like writing, and wavy lines drawn in the shape of a pentagram the entire size of the stump. Seokjin kept every part of him a good foot from the wooden surface, despite how obviously curious he was about it, and I wondered if he knew it was somehow dangerous.

Taehyung didn't venture so close, and the rest of us followed that silent decision. After a heavy silence, Youngjae spoke up. "The first step to opening it is world-walker blood, human blood, and Angel blood. The rest is up to Seokjin and me."

I glanced at Hoseok, becoming more tense and worried about this whole thing as time went on, especially since he was totally stoic, not saying a word since we'd set off from the rest of the company. I took his hand, and it felt comforting to have him lace his fingers with mine and relax just a little.

Youngjae arranged the blood sacrificers in the places around the stump where he said it indicated. I looked down at the symbols scrawled on the ancient wooden surface, feeling oddly like I knew they said 'mortal' rather than human. How I would have known that, I couldn't figure out.

I looked up at Himchan and then Jongup, standing even distances from me and each other around the pentagram. They each held a blade similar to the one I'd been given. On Youngjae's instruction, we raised the blades to our forearms and drew a short slice across our skin, me wincing with a loud squeak. For some reason I had underestimated how much it would hurt. My cry was hardly noticed, lost among the deep concentration of the Hunters around us. They both seemed perplexed that our blood was falling to the stump to no effect. It couldn't have been not enough... I hoped.

Jongup gave up first, coming towards me at a bisque walk. "He's not human," he snapped, and it shocked me to hear him angry.

The Hunters both cursed as Jongup closed my wound. Hoseok took my hand again moments later and patted Jongup's shoulder in thanks. "Then we find a human. Let's not blow this out of proportion."

"Just find a human?!" Youngjae growled at my Angel, and I understood his anger before he explained. "We can't just take any unmarked human from their home and slit them open in a forest, Hoseok! You of all spirits should agree with that."

Hoseok sighed heavily, his morals battling with his determination to help me. "We have to. And we can kill two birds with one stone without even marking them." He beckoned to the Vampire in our company, and Youngjae sighed right back, seeming to immediately agree.

"Fine. If you can live with that on your conscience, you go find one."

I squeezed Hoseok's hand and then lifted it to my lips to kiss. "Someone young and healthy, okay?" I pleaded, feeling guilty not protesting. Hoseok nodded, eyes closed, and pulled me close to kiss my forehead.

"I'll be back before you know it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Hoseok gone and nothing else to do, I took Jongup by the hand and led him away from our divided company. Daehyun was busy harassing the smallest Hunter to mind us, and Seokjin and Taehyung hardly noticed anything but each other these days. Himchan, however, glanced around for a second before following us a few metres behind.

A little while away I stopped and let go of the Angel, turning to face him. He raised an inquisitive brow at me, resting a leg in a relaxed gesture while he waited for me to explain myself.

"I have a shitty idea," I began, looking him in the eyes and gesturing carelessly. "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt because of me, so I... I want to know if you can send me in there alone."

"In the portal... to Hell... alone. That's what you mean?" The Angel crossed his arms and creased his brows. "And risk sending you to your death without trying to stop you? How should I explain that to the man who loves you more than anything in the world?"

I felt guilt shake me hard then, but not quite as hard as it did when I saw the people I care about most come close to death just to keep me from being kidnapped. "If it keeps him and everyone else safe... then you just have to tell him it's what I wanted." I was nervous really saying this out loud... less sure about it now that it was out in the open. Of course, Jongup could sense that, and he stepped a little closer to me to put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm going to need a better reason than you being worried for us, Yoongi. Any one of us would give our lives for another; that's what we signed up for."

I felt my lip tremble from the truth I felt in his words. I was ready to die for all of them, and I was sure he was right about them, too.

"Nobody likes a martyr," Jongup finished, giving me one of his comforting smiles that promised he cared about you. "Now, who's next?" he asked almost comically as he turned around to face Himchan head-on.

I glanced at the Vampire for a moment before suddenly catching on to what the Demon was always looking so tense and awkward for. He was head over heels for the Angel. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed that earlier. I swallowed a little awkwardly before turning to take my leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I accidentally stumbled upon a Hunter and a Wolf making out in the forest on my way back, and hurried to pass them, despite their complete refusal to acknowledge me. In the clearing near the stump, Daehyun had Youngjae up against a tree, and I felt myself hold back the impulse to roll my eyes. I guessed there hadn't been much other time to act upon feelings recently, and felt kind of guilty for that, too. I sat down quietly in front of a tree to lean on and closed my eyes, my hand resting semi-consciously on my gun. I was calmer now that Jongup had talked me out of giving myself up, but that didn't mean I felt safe.

Hoseok returned long enough later that I'd had time to fall asleep, and when the feel of his lips on my cheek roused me, the others had gathered again as well. I smiled sleepily at Hoseok and let him pull me to my feet, but my peace was shattered as I saw Himchan chowing down on the human I assumed Hoseok had brought us.

"Sorry," my Angel whispered as he led me close to the pentagram again. Jongup watched Himchan, a mysterious sadness in his eyes, and didn’t move from his point at the pentagram.

The human was a young man, dark brown hair and business clothes stained in red from his neck down. He didn’t struggle at all, and seemed hypnotised when Himchan pulled him away and bent him over his point of the pentagram, letting a stream of blood pool on the wood. Jongup turned to me and nodded, also cutting his arm to spill his blood. I bit my lip, standing in now as a World-Walker as himchan's blood was mixed with human's, and carved over the same line form before, not that I could see any sign of a scar thanks to the Angel’s healing. The sting was the same, just as shocking and horrible, but this time I was almost immediately distracted.

The other two pools of blood responded as mine first dripped to the drawings. It began to move in liquid lines along the drawing until the pentagram was covered in our blood, held in place by some invisible forces. I held tight to my knife, letting my bloody arm hang by my side, dripping to the leaf-litter unnoticed.

Taehyung spoke first with an obligatory ‘it worked,’ and we all looked at each other in wonder for a few moments longer. He and Youngjae stood at the remaining points of the pentagram and bent to trace the writing in front of them with their blades. I noticed Hoseok healing the half-conscious human, and then he gave me a small nod before flying away again with him in in his arms. I hoped he’d be back soon, because I didn’t know if we’d have much time.

Daehyun crept closer to the stump, standing between Youngjae and me. Everyone had excited anticipation on their faces, some more than others, but I could feel from the air around us that everyone was also at least a little frightened. I didn’t have any realistic knowledge about Hell, I supposed, but I couldn’t imagine it was a safe and welcoming place. It was another world, apparently, or another plane, and infested with Demons which Hoseok spent many months warning me about. I felt less afraid of this world since Hoseok came into my life and trained me, and since this party of spirits, Demons, and Hunters claimed to want to protect me, but I knew I wouldn’t feel safe in another world, especially one with such a reputation.

Apart from the Hunters, we exchanged looks of concern, though Jongup seemed the most uneasy. The unmistakable sound of splitting wood made everyone focus on the stump again, and it suddenly began to crack open from the middle. I recoiled away from it, though Daehyun caught my arm before I fell and held me beside him. The ground shook just enough to absolutely terrify me. I’d never felt an earthquake, but I was sure this was what it felt like. The words I don’t want to die ran through my head over and over as I clung tight to the Beta’s arm and stared at the gaping hole in the ground that grew as the stump split open further and further.

It lasted just a few moments longer, and then calm took over again, though the birds were no longer singing, and nobody could stop staring into the giant black hole.

“You’ve orders, Moon Jongup.” The voice that interrupted the silence took us all by surprise. It was an Angel, and by the sight of him, I guessed an Archangel. His wings were twice the size of Hoseok or Jongup’s, and he was the sort of ethereal beauty that you couldn’t even imagine. Golden hair and shining green eyes, a sharp, strong jawline and perfect, handsome features, his presence was so powerful and imposing that both of the Wolves practically cowered. Daehyun hid behind me, staring wide-eyed at the figure, clearly at least six inches taller than me even from metres away.

Jongup was the least shocked of anyone to see the Archangel, but the most afraid. His shoulders were tense, his whole body flexed as though ready to run. “With all due respect, I have unfinished business here…” His voice was steadier than his trembling aura.

The Archangel stepped closer, making Himchan shrink back towards Jongup, and their fingers entwined behind the Vampire’s back. “If you enter that portal, you’re betraying a direct order, and I will summon you forcefully. You’ve the chance to make up for all of your disobedience. Follow me, soldier.”

Jongup’s breathing accelerated, his shoulders rising and falling faster with every second, and suddenly Hoseok returned, landing at a run to stand between the Angel and his controlling mentor. He faced Jongup, panting, and shook his head. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret, Jongup…”

It was clear from his hesitance that Jongup didn’t know what he wanted. I watched in confusion as he suddenly turned and took a hold of Himchan’s face, and without hesitation, he pressed their lips together. Himchan gasped, frozen in shock for a few seconds before he suddenly tore away and sunk his fangs into Jongup’s neck. The Angel’s head tipped back, a smile covering his lips as a swirling blackness suddenly enveloped his eyes, turning his gaze lifeless and demon-like. I flinched when they both dropped heavily to the forest floor, passed out or dead, I couldn’t tell. All eyes turned back to the Archangel just to notice disappointment and anger cross his celestial features. He stepped back before beating his wings lightly and pinned Hoseok with a glare of distaste before launching himself into the air with the wingspan of a small plane.

I shook my head in disbelief of everything I’d just witnessed, and turned to glance at the Beta to whom I still clung, though he had reversed the grasp for comfort a little while ago. He met my eyes and straightened himself, his expression a combination of embarrassment and relief. “He could kill as all with a flick of his wrist, you know,” the Beta informed me as though defending his fearful action, and I nodded, pursing my lips to hide my mild amusement.

Hoseok and Youngjae crouched beside Himchan and Jongup as the Vampire began to stir. Himchan took Youngjae’s offer to be helped into a sitting position.

“Welcome back to mortality,” the Hunter said with a quirk of his brows. Himchan stared at him, incredulous, and looked over at Jongup, concern creasing his brows. The Angel was completely still, looking completely lifeless, but he suddenly gasped and sat up, scrambling to hold himself up for a few seconds until Himchan took a hold of him.

“Jongup, hey... you’re okay, you’re okay,” he assured him, holding his shirt and moving to take his hands.

Jongup, stared in his eyes, confusion turning to relief. “It worked…” he whispered. Himchan nodded slowly, though he looked more guilty than relieved, and Jongup hurried to reassure him. “You made a difficult decision for me, Himchan. I’m not upset.” They got to their feet, maintaining eye-contact, and Jongup was the first to look away, meeting Hoseok’s eyes with a meaningful nod.

“You’re free,” my Angel said with an almost mischievous smile that gave me an unexpected burst of confidence. He looked at me then and his smile became more genuine and loving. “Are we ready?”

“As we’ll ever be!” came an unexpected voice from behind me, and we all turned to see who else decided to join us last minute. The beings standing at the edge of the clearing were relatively human-looking, though one was familiar. His lilac hair and matching eyes couldn’t have belonged to anyone else.

“Byungjoo, Hansol…” Hoseok’s eyes narrowed slightly before a small smile appeared on his lips. “It’s been a while. You’re joining us on our trip to Hell?”

“Hell? Shit, no thanks,” the little blonde said, and turned to leave, just before Byungjoo caught the hood of his jumper and tugged him back.

The Cambion’s thick, purple hair seemed to bob as one mass as he nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

Hansol crossed his arms and turned his head away, a disgruntled grimace on his face. “Fine, we’ll help…”

I still wasn’t used to how many people were willing to do all of this for me, but despite one of them cornering me in a public bathroom with the intent to ‘feed’ on me all those months ago, I offered them a genuine smile, more grateful than I could ever say.


	44. Underworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Hoseok  
> (come at me finish lineeeee)

~

Albeit not the bravest, Youngjae had no competition as the smartest, and he seemed to realise everyone else was afraid, so he didn’t hesitate to put himself at the portal’s edge.

“Bon voyage,” he sighed with a half-hearted salute, and in he stepped. Unsurprisingly, Daehyun didn’t hesitate to follow, and soon all but Yoongi and myself had entered. Each body passing made a zapping and crackling gap in the portal, which closed again behind them like a force field. Yoongi took a deep breath and clasped my hand for a moment.

“It’ll all be over after this,” he breathed. “I love you.”

I knew either way it had to end here. Something we did, someone we spoke to, could make it all stop. But at what cost? “And I love you.”

With that he let my hand go and stepped in, and before the hole had closed, I followed, dreading what I might meet on the other side.

~~~~~~

If there was anything I could have expected about entering the infamous realm of the underworld, it wasn’t falling straight into ice-cold water, too deep even to touch the bottom before I began swimming back to the surface. Emerging, I looked for my companions, and most were swimming towards the edge, a rocky outcropping at the entrance of a dark, dank cave. The circular tunnel seemed to the be only way out of here, apart from the way from which we fell, and at least fifteen metres high from slick, rocky floor to dripping ceiling. Mosses and bone fragments decorated some of the boulders, and sinister sounds echoed against the stone from deep inside the cave.

I reached the edge and climbed out of the water, pushing Yoongi up slightly to counter his trembling arms. I realised that if I found the water cold, my companions must have found it absolutely freezing. The wolves undressed to squeeze out their clothes, and I noticed Youngjae’s proverbial hackles rise at the Beta Wolf’s bare, slick body, even in the dim light. The hunter made himself even smaller, sitting on a dirty rock, and emptied water from his shoes. Seokjin, for once noticing something other than Taehyung, grinned at Youngjae’s grimace and bumped him on the shoulder, jeering.

The Cambions wrung their shirts out and tipped water from their sneakers, but mostly wandered and stared inside the cave entrance. I made sure to inject some warmth into my human with my hand spread out across his back, but my interest was piqued by the little mortal demons staring at the walls. When his shivering stopped, Yoongi thanked me with a whisper and wrung his clothing out as best he could without undressing. I walked past the party for a moment to go to the Cambions, and finally saw what they were seeing. Drawings in stone, not carved, but somehow burnt with spirit magic, and the scenes were described in small passages of archaic angelic text. I figured, having left the mortal plane, we’d no longer encounter any human languages, but it still surprised me a little to see. It had been quite some time since I’d read anything in an angelic language.

Yoongi came up beside me, and I touched the small of his back to warm him again. It was cool in here, definitely nothing like what I had expected. The company, much less damp than a few moments ago, treaded carefully over the slick rocks to inspect the scenes drawn inside.

“Can you read this?” Himchan questioned, seeming to ask both Jongup and me.

I nodded and glanced at him. “It’s an old language, but it is still taught in Heaven. I suppose it may have been the primary language when Lucifer first decorated this realm.” My brows raised at Jongup, as if to corroborate my opinions with him, and he nodded, hands in his back jean pockets.

“That sounds correct to me. This language is… too old to date,” he agreed, shaking his head slowly.

“What does it say?” Daehyun had reclothed up to his waist, and clearly forgone his shirt at the entrance, now matching Jongup’s half-dressed look. Running quite warm naturally, most Wolves wouldn’t have noticed the cool in here like Yoongi did. From the way Youngjae glowed with warmth, I was sure he didn’t notice it much either.

Jongup stepped closer to the first scene, squinting a little to begin with. The drawing depicted Angels lined up and facing a large throne, and though drawn roughly, it was clearly the beginning of the story of Lucifer’s falling. In the moment that I realised this, I suddenly felt a twang in my gut. We’d been told this story before of course, but anticipation coiled inside me as I realised the version I knew had been from The Maker’s point of view. Jongup eyed me knowingly and began to decipher the scenes for our intrigued party.

“It’s an ancient tale, depicted firstly in Heaven, and it shows Michael the Angel being appointed Hand of the King of Heaven. The… the tone of the story is affectionate here, and the perspective isn’t revealed.” Some of the details Jongup seemed to mention as if in discussion with myself. Moving across a little to the next scene, Jongup roughly translated the story, glancing at me occasionally as it twisted more and more off track from what we had been taught. Towards the end of the depictions, the story told of things I couldn’t have believed some time ago, but now seemed much more feasible.

“Michael became jealous as the King confided in his other Archangels... Gabriel, Raphael… Lucifer.” Jongup gulped, a largely human action that I hadn’t expected from him. “He spread that the other Archangels were out to cause dissent…” His interest was as high as his confusion. We felt the same way at this. “Michael kept his place beside The King only by sentencing Lucifer, to an eternity of exile from the ethereal realm, Heaven, for being the leader of such a coup. And thus he created the first Fallen.”

Jongup’s head turned towards me, but his eyes stayed on the drawing for a moment, a picture of heartbreak showing Lucifer’s exile, and Michael’s selfish return to near-royal status. The rest of the scenes required no translation. Heaven was ruled by fear for eons, until the true tale was all but forgotten. The story of Lucifer’s fate only appeared at the very end, the final image. He stood overlooking a realm that seemed to be filled with pain and hate, torture and death. Like a bloody battlefield. Jongup’s eyes finally slid over to me, his lips turned up in a slight grimace.

“Could this be true?” he queried sadly, the same disbelieving shock in his aura as I felt myself.

“Does it matter?” Youngjae asked from behind us, and we turned to face him, though he still looked at the scorched drawings on the walls. “I mean, if this is a story you know another side to, then sure, that’s interesting and all, but we do have work to do here, and I’d really like to get home as soon as humanly possible.”

Rattled but in total agreement, I nodded at the hunter and then at Jongup. “Let’s press on. Who knows how far we could be from our goal?”

Tired, soggy, and afraid, we trudged through the unlit tunnel, the humans taking turns tripping and slipping on the unsteady, slick footing. Supernatural reflexes allowed most of us to prevent any falls, though Byungjoo was not so lucky, falling with a thud. To our collective relief, he was okay, but Hansol couldn’t help laughing so loud it echoed. 

Eventually, the tunnel opened up, and Himchan suddenly sucked in a shocked breath, drawing all of our attention to him. Dark almond eyes were staring ahead, wide and not quite alarmed, but something close. He recognised this place. I followed his gaze, and I felt a similarly surprised expression cross my features.

Like a dragon’s lair, the exit of our cave opened up into an enormous cavern, sparsely lit by torches and strange glowing lights in the far distance. In front of us a network of suspended stone paths hung seemingly unsupported over a bottomless pit, only darkness below. Hanging from the massive stalactites above were iron cages, not a few but millions, suspended too high to make out anything that may be inside, which I figured was for the best. In the cavern walls, some miles from where we stood, paths led to large stone buildings, dull and void of signs of life but for flaming torches, just a dim glow from this distance.

Speaking of dragons, the first living creature we noticed was indeed a fire-breathing reptile, though it was far enough away not to notice us, soaring downwards until it disappeared from view. A faint rumbling screech could be heard that no doubt belonged to the beast, and Yoongi suddenly gripped my bicep.

Dragons were the least of our worries, however. Jongup noticed first that our old friends the wraiths had very much noticed us, and a large flock was swooping at supernatural speeds towards us. My Fallen friend and I moved to the front of the party in a defensive pose, ebony wings snapping out and glistening blades wielded at the ready. Before it could come to blows, the robed flock stilled in the air in a menacingly unreal way. There weren’t hundreds, but certainly more than I’d ever seen before. They amassed above us, black cloaks strangely still for the lack of moving air in here, and shining eyes glowed in pairs down at our party.

From above them suddenly appeared a hooded humanoid creature astride a black and red winged mount. Like a Pegasus, but the wings were more that of a bat, the beast was riddled with decay and open wounds. The front lines of wraiths parted for it, and the hooded figure slowed the flying beast to a stop, mid-air. Massive flapping wings whipped our hair around our heads and ruffled our feathers. Daehyun growled menacingly, and I heard his feet shift behind me.

Under the hood, we discovered, was an incredibly pale woman, long black hair and fully black eyes striking against her skin tone. She was undoubtedly a demon, but I immediately felt that she was more than just any demon. Above us, flanked by an army of cloaked killers, had to be Lilith herself. “What do we have here?” came her chilling voice. She carried no weapons we could see, but a movement of her hand caused Jongup to react with an arm lashing out, an invisible binding cast towards her. Unlike what I expected, there was no sudden backlash for such an action. The wraiths didn’t leap to defend their master but continued to stare soullessly at us from above. Lilith suddenly grinned, unexpectedly human teeth bared. I tucked Yoongi behind me, obscuring him as much as I could.

“Now now, bird boys, no need to get defensive,” she tutted, and Jongup’s concentration on the binding suddenly became rapidly more difficult. “I only hoped to speak without your lingering…” A wave of her hand filled a pause. “…presence.” She finished snidely, clearly feeling distaste towards us, and possibly even knowing that we were more powerful than her. “I’d hate to have to kill our guests before we even got to show them around.”

Jongup’s arm began to tremble, and ragged breaths dragged from his throat. Lilith directed a closed-lipped smirk at him now, seeming to know he was about to give in. And he did, his arm falling almost lifelessly back to his body, caught between his knees and with his other hand. I stayed ready.

“We’ve come to discuss the terms of a bounty,” Youngjae suddenly called to her, pushing past myself, and I stepped forward to stay with him, terrified for what could happen to his mortal body if this demoness could break free from Jongup’s binding. The hunter gripped his pistol in its holster, but otherwise stared confidently up at the Pegasus and its master.

Still amused now but even more interested, Lilith flew her beast lower, and large black hooves landed gracefully on the stone path ahead of us, one at a time. Still, thankfully, the wraiths did not move. 

“A bounty?” She urged the beast forward, and Youngjae stood his ground, still quite a distance away, but Daehyun couldn’t help but push forward to stand close as well, his growling rising in volume and threat-level. Youngjae reached behind himself and touched the tips of his fingers to the Wolf’s arm, if only for a second.

A good distance away still but close enough to see more clearly, the slim form underneath her hooded robe was scantily clad, black marks like tattos across her body. She demon stopped again, eyeing us with predatory curiosity. “May I invite you to an audience with my lord? We so rarely have guests.” The façade of civil hospitality made my stomach turn, and the party shimmered with feelings of terror. Having expected to have to delve deep into this realm, we didn’t hesitate for long, and ominous nickering reminiscent of a horse came from the beast’s throat as Lilith tugged its reins to turn it away from us. “My lord would simply love to meet you.”

I put a hand on Jongup’s shoulder, helping him right himself, and the glance he shot me showed the tail-end of a distressed grimace before he could hide it. Daehyun walked so close behind Youngjae I wondered how they didn’t trip each other up, and the party followed close behind, huddling for security.

Descending inside the cavern was nothing short of terrifying, and it seemed to go on forever. The bottomless pit became no less bottomless no matter how far we went. We grew increasingly distracted by caged demons and what sickened me to realise were humans, screaming, pleading, terrified or completely insane. I noticed Seokjin eventually close his eyes and turn away, his gaze directed at the back of Youngjae’s jacket. The deep crinkle of his brow and hard set of his mouth revealed he couldn’t take much more of this. We turned eventually off what seemed to be the main path, and I touched Yoongi’s aura to make sure he was still calm. Surprisingly he was.

Deep in a freezing sub-cavern, torches lit with blue flames began to line the walls around us, and it wasn’t long before we rounded into a cave that looked as though it didn’t belong down here at all.

Suddenly met with an entire ecosystem of its own, the rocky ceiling was easily half a mile high, and what could be nothing but natural light glimmered bright god-rays from a few gaps in the stone. Mosses and vines decorated the surfaces as far as I could see. Trees and other plants grew inside, lining a trickling stream that seemed to come from nowhere, and lead to a place too far to see. Taehyung and Daehyun inhaled deeply, likely alarmed by the unmistakable smell of nature, despite being in an unknown realm, deep inside a cave.

We were led along a stone path, but this time the kind that was arranged neatly in the soil, tussocks of grass growing between. A building nestled between a thicket of large, ancient trees. Branches twisted in beautiful ways, thicker than the trunks of aged trees I’d seen on earth, and leaves littered the perimeter of the house. Like an antique mansion, the building was decorated by nature, thickly covered by vines aside from windows and doors, and clearly not kept clean or particularly tidy.

The demoness dismounted with a swing of her leg over the mount’s neck, bare feet landing impossibly gently upon the crunching of leafy debris. Given its freedom, the black beast spun on its heels and galloped past us, a surreal shriek causing a tremble in our party’s auras.

We followed Lilith inside, obedience seeming like the only intelligent option for now. I noticed Himchan’s colours dim and shiver, giving away his terror at the familiarity. I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that he knew this place. The room we entered was exceptionally grand compared to the outside. It was kept in top condition, fit almost for royalty. Contrasted against hardwood furniture, panelling, and staircases, a palette of blues decorated the entranceway, reminiscent of the eerie blue flames. There wasn’t time to appreciate aesthetics before an immaculately dressed Archangel showed himself from a room adjacent to us. Ebony wings twice his size, thick bony protrusions at the muscular joints, glossy black primary feathers gently sweeping the floor, he seemed to float on bare feet.

I felt Jongup’s energy beside me as though it was my own. I could only assume he too had never been quite so confronted in his life. Lucifer, I thought, and tried to stop myself from reeling. He moved with such grace that his deceptively human body was the only thing familiar about him. Dark hair sat in waves across his head, long enough to just touch his brows on the side it was swept; equally dark irises leered at us as though sizing us up, but with an all-knowing smile lingering behind it. Lilith glided towards him, every bit unnatural, but still less graceful than he, and leant gingerly to whisper in his ear, her all-black eyes shining with wicked enjoyment.

A glimpse of curiosity flickered on the Archangel’s features. He eyed us for a moment longer, and then changed his posture to a welcoming beckon, arms spread and palms up, perfectly symmetrical.

“What an astonishing occasion,” his deep voice began, and it racked me with shock, the familiarity. Angels like myself didn’t have much chance to meet or interact with original Archangels, but the few times I’d heard Raphael, Michael, or Gabriel, their voices had carried the exact tone and timbre that was echoing in my mind at that moment. As startling as it was, it may have been odder if he were for some reason unlike them. Even his straight, angular features undeniably resembled them. Most unmistakable, however, was his aura, glowing almost physically hot with all of the power he possessed. I had never been this close to another original Archangel, and it was simply terrifying.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the deceivingly warm voice began again, “and formally welcome you to my underworld. I am Lucifer, and you find yourselves deep in the belly of Hell.” His eyes switched between Jongup and I, curious, possibly secretly amused, and hardly spared a glance to the hunter practically shaking right in front of him. A moment passed while he swept his eyes over my companions, but seeming disinterested in what he saw, he landed his eyes on Jongup. “My welcome extends to you all. However, I must say I am highly intrigued. I have seen everything in my time, except…” and with that a long finger pointed across all of us, his eyes following it to give us each a brief glance. “…this.”

And I was sure he was not exaggerating. 2 Fallen, 2 mortal hunters, 2 werewolves, 2 cambions, and my human. I wondered if he could tell Yoongi was quarter-demon.

Youngjae moved as though to say something, but I stopped him, a hand on his shoulder, and he didn’t for one second attempt to fight me on it.

“My lord,” I began, trusting my voice would not betray the way I felt. The Archangel’s eyes briefly crinkled, as though in response to my use of the title. “Your welcome is appreciated, but we do not plan to stay.” I took a deep breath, but not so deep as to be obvious. I hoped I wouldn’t tremble. “It’s come to our attention… that a companion of mine is plagued by a bounty of Hell.” I didn’t hold his eyes for too long, unsure of how to even return such a stare. I mostly avoided anything that could be considered disrespectful.

“And who’s bounty might this be?” he asked, as slow and interested as before, scanning the party with his dark eyes again.

I begged Yoongi not to show himself, and luckily, I felt his hesitance and fear hold him back. He trembled a little behind me, but that didn’t set him apart from the rest of us. If anything, the frightened auras of all of them set me more on edge than I would have been otherwise.

Feeling my hesitance, he dropped his eyes for a moment, brows quirking up as though a thought came to him, and then locked eyes with me again, his face tilted lower. Thick locks swung across his forehead, and flicked his fringe back, holding my gaze. “A guessing game, is it? Well, my first guess would be that it’s a human you were charged to protect. Am I close?”

Closing my eyes for a moment, I knew it would be obvious to him. Angels didn’t fall for no reason, and here I was in the underworld, black wings arched uncomfortably around my shoulders.

“An innocent human?” His eyes were more questioning now.

“Completely,” I breathed, desperate for that to mean something to him. His already perfect pose straightened even further as he squared his shoulders.

“Unlike some of the company my realm is host to, I am not uncivilised,” Lucifer began, eyes shifting back to Jongup for a second. “However, we do not assign bounties on a whim. Which of your little mortals is it?” Curious still, in fact shimmering with it, he waited for me to offer him a human. Everything inside me screamed not to, I wanted to remain a physical barrier between them, however little I would do stop him harming my Yoongi.

Crippled with indecision and panic for a few moments, I blinked back very real tears. I turned slightly, my hand finding Yoongi’s, and he wrapped his around it with strength and sureness I wish I shared.

Yoongi appeared from behind my tense wings, eyes on Lucifer as a mouse would watch a lion. I hadn’t the strength to look anywhere but at him, mortified at letting him come this close to such a powerful and allegedly evil being. He slid his hand from mine as he approached the Archangel, but he didn’t show the terror he felt on his face. Brave chocolate eyes bore into Lucifer’s, and he didn’t so much as bow in respect. He stood still but confident, more so than he felt, and I begged and begged that the lord of Hell would have mercy.

“It cannot be,” he marvelled, eyes widening a little as he took a slow step towards Yoongi, though he came no closer. Some of my fear was replaced by surprise as the Archangel examined my human. “Min Dongyoon,” he almost whispered, and suddenly Yoongi’s pose changed, shoulders slumping, brow tilting up in the middle. The shock didn’t last on his face, and he rapidly righted it. Lucifer shook his head for a moment, and a squint crossed his eyes. “His child.”

Yoongi did not dare take his eyes off the Archangel. “Min Yoongi,” he forced out, but he had nothing else to say, and so set his lips and tensed his jaw.

Lucifer smiled then, somehow genuine, though still far from comforting. “What an unusual circumstance.”

The demoness at his side suddenly crossed her arms with an exasperated sigh. Having looked on with wayward amusement for the exchange so far, she suddenly seemed disappointed.

“May I take a walk with you, Min Yoongi?”

It wasn’t a request, I realised, as I tried to object, and suddenly was frozen in place, a ward appearing around myself and my companions, invisible but incredibly powerful. Lucifer’s eyes flicked to me for just a moment, and I couldn’t help but cry out, watching as he moved a hand to the small of Yoongi’s back, and away into the house they walked together.

My heart broke into a thousand pieces. Would I ever see him again?


	45. High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV - Yoongi  
> 

Seconds felt like hours. My heart pounded, missing a beat every time demonic eyes swept over me. I had no idea the kind of power these spirits held, and that terrified me to my core. My legs struggled to keep me upright let alone carry me forward. When we stepped into the mansion, however, I found my strength. Somehow, I knew this was where it would end, and however it happened, I simply needed it to end. I thought of Jungkook, hopefully safe and sound and awaiting my return, and it helped. It reminded me of why I was here.

“May I take a walk with you, Min Yoongi?” The angel, or archangel, asked with a commanding sort of posture, hand already outstretched. I didn’t dare refuse. His touch was chilling, albeit humanlike, where it rested against my slightly damp jacket. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder to see Hoseok’s reaction for fear of feeling more panic. I pretended he was confident in allowing this.

We walked side by side down a carpeted hall, massive ancient paintings hung between blue torches. I lacked the concentration to make out what was depicted. Rounding a corner, Lucifer led me into a courtyard decorated by a well-kept garden. A sculpture of an angel stood before me, wings outstretched and spanning metres and metres to either side. I wondered for a brief moment if the black wings beside me would look so large in full flight. Leading me on a cobblestone path surrounded by immaculate rose bushes, Lucifer’s hand moved from my back to clasp his other behind his coat.

“How much do you know about the Great War in which your hunter father fought?” he asked, curiosity seeming genuine. I felt his eyes on me while we walked slowly together.

I decided total honesty was the best, and possibly only, option. “I know Heaven won,” I began, and dared tilt my eyes to his for a second, but then found a pink rose to rest them on. “And that… m-my father was the champion of it, or something.” Somehow it still ached to think about him, and about this.

“Hmm. All true, but the war itself, boy. How it began?”

I shook my head, curiosity almost outweighing my terror for a moment.

“My exile from Heaven was… painful,” he breathed, surprising me a little with the honest tone. “It was my home. However, I fell to earth and found myself quickly enthralled with it. Nature,” he said, beckoning around him, “the sights and smells, and humans… I hadn’t been amongst them until then. They were different then, still struggling with language and civility, an infant species. But they were beautiful. As they are today. The mortality of their world made it so fragile... irreplaceable.”

Despite my preconceptions of The Devil, Lucifer quickly revealed himself to be far from the evil he was made out to be, if his tale, and his manor, were to be believed. Intrigued, I searched his eyes for a few moments, and his startlingly symmetrical features flashed a handsome half-smile.

“After some time on Earth, it occurred to me that… there was no peaceful way to spend my existence in the mortal realm. It was perfect in that it was untouched by our kind, and I found a way to keep it that way for as long as I could. I created Hell.”

My brows spiked for a second, and then pinched in the middle.

“You created it to… help Earth? That wasn’t in your story on the stone walls...”

Lucifer nodded once, the same genuine smile on his lips. “I depicted the tale of my falling, of Michael’s betrayal. At the time these small details didn’t seem to matter. As for why I decided to create a place to help you... I had nothing at all against humans, or your planet. It was not your kind who cast me out. But… at the time I did hold a very strong grudge, and it made me bitter; angry, even.” He took a moment, turning a corner with me down another winding path, and his own brow furrowed with emotion. “Wanting revenge, I created Lilith. She was to collect the souls of humans who had done wrong to their own kind, and bring them to me. I made them slaves as penance for their sins, and my realm began to grow in power.” His dark eyes landed in mine again, and it took some courage not to look away in fear. Despite my interest, he was just as frightening as before.

“The war began when I felt I’d gained enough power to take on Heaven. By this time, centuries had passed in your realm. Humans were different in a way, in many ways, but at their core they were the same. There was good in every one of them. It wasn’t until I discovered that Heaven had enlisted humans to fight for them that I realised the war I had begun would only hurt myself. Innocent lives were lost to protect a realm that cared so little for them.”

My eyes scrunched in confusion for a moment. “Heaven doesn’t care for humans?”

Lucifer took a deep breath, seeming to prepare himself. “I am portrayed as evil on your world. Satan. A Devil. But what I do protects you. I fabricated a place for those who would wish you ill to remain trapped. I left your paradise to build a place where I could help protect you.” His words dripped with emotion, and I felt the longer I spent with him, the more he resembled Hoseok. His selfless declarations were difficult to grasp, but there was nothing I could I but listen for now. “God… The realm he created, and his angels… it’s all to collect innocent souls. Because souls are power, Yoongi. Souls make him the deity he is. I don’t doubt that the humans spend eternity in a peaceful afterlife, but he doesn’t do it for them.”

I felt sick, my emotions likely playing across my face. I wondered how much of this my angel knew, or Jongup. How did we have it so backwards?

“Demons often escape Hell, thirsting for a life in paradise. That’s what Earth is to us, boy. It’s unlike anything else in existence. Innocent. Unique. My wolves roam your forests, tasting the sweet, fresh air. My vampires find their freedom in building covens, empires, and often living amongst humans. Nothing I have allowed Lilith to create was designed to harm mortals, only add a layer of depth and mystery to the circle of life. But the angels couldn’t see it that way. My beasts are not murderous. They’re sentient, and they deserve more than this,” he said, beckoning around us at the rocky walls and dank atmosphere. “I made my home here as much like your realm as I could manage. It keeps me sane. But I wish… I wish I could visit your home again, Yoongi.”

Rolling with emotions, mostly confusion, I studied his face for a few moments, and then turned my gaze back to the statue we were again facing. He looked upon it as well, deep in thought.

“I’m sorry you have to suffer here,” I said so lowly it was almost a whisper.

“That’s sweet of you,” he replied with a smile, teeth showing now, an astonishing white. “I suppose you would like to discuss the terms of this bounty.” He turned to face me fully, hands still clasped behind his back. I didn’t need to reply. My look of desperation can’t have been difficult to decipher. “Lilith is charged with bringing me souls, and that is what she will do in any way she can. The more powerful, the better. She has never understood my love of your kind, and it drives her sometimes to jealousy. As long as innocents are not killed, I do not monitor what she does with her demons. However, you… you were a case I couldn’t overlook. I didn’t expect you to come here of your own accord, but I wanted her to bring you to me.”

“Why me?” My squeak of a voice made him pause, possibly amused.

“I knew a direct descendent of Min Dongyoon would make a fine commander of my army.”

I gulped, dread settling deep in my stomach.

“Heaven clearly had other plans for you, possibly hoping to preserve the bloodline. But you foiled that plan for them, didn’t you?” I wondered if his quirked brow was an unspoken reference to Hoseok, and our relationship that was clearly not going to produce children.

I swallowed nothing, my mouth bone dry. “So you don’t want me dead?”

Lucifer showed his teeth in another brief wide smile, his gaze moving back to the statue.

“You see, only those who have died can serve me,” he explained, and it seemed to encourage him to continue when I didn’t understand right away. “And you, dear boy, are almost incapable of dying.”

My breath left me in a tremble, some of the sick feeling disappearing, and I let hope rise up inside me. I wasn’t going to die. He couldn’t kill me.

“I am willing to lift your bounty. I have not created a beast who can kill an angel, and nor would I want to simply to claim your soul. I am… somewhat tired of wars. The kind of good I see in you is enough to give me hope that your world will turn out just fine with me down here, and the Angels up there.” His eyes tilted to the rocky ceiling for a moment, and then locked in mine.

As we walked together back into his house, I tentatively felt as though I might have just made friends with the first Fallen Archangel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I gulped in a deep breath of relief at seeing my party waiting for me in the foyer. Frozen in place by fear or simply unwilling to cause offence by any means, Hoseok remained right where he stood until I was within reach once again. The warm reassurance of his hand on mine was shattered by his trembles. My touch slowly calmed him, and his calmed me.

Facing us again, this time without the lingering presence of the demon woman, Lucifer presented the party with the same polite yet curious and amused expression he’d worn when we arrived, nothing like the natural, honest smile he’d shown me. 

“Well, my guests, you’ll be glad to know your mission has been a success. You may all return home.” And before we had a chance to react, he added: “I hope I don’t see you here again, Kim Himchan.” With that, my companions got a glimpse of his true smile, a sliver of his pearl white teeth and all. Pale as a ghost, Himchan froze, eyes snapping to Lucifer's but he relaxed a little at the friendly expression. Jongup took the vampire-turned-human's hand and began to pull him away. We didn't hesitate to leave.

Conflicted, relieved, and exhausted, the we made journey back to earth.

The feel of a gentle breeze on my skin, rustling my hair and chilling me through my coat, was the first sign that we were home. We didn’t appear to be in the same place we’d traveled from, and that immediately alarmed me. We were in a similar location, however, surrounded by familiar tall pines; the same smells and sounds.

“Where are we?” the purple-haired boy to my right asked, whipping his head around and rubbing his arms.

Jongup spread his wings, almost close enough to knock me flying, and leapt into the air, beating his glossy feathers hard towards us before taking off at speed. Most of us shied for a second, more spooked than anything.

“I think we’re about to find out,” Hoseok replied, and squeezed my hand for a moment, though his concentration was elsewhere. I wondered if he was attempting to seek out the remainder of our party with his mind. I was too exhausted to try anything like that, but I had a better idea anyway.

The moment I actually gripped my phone in my jeans pocket, dread rippled through me, my fears confirmed the second my eyes fell on it.

“Uuuuuhhh nooooo,” I groaned, clicking the power button repeatedly, smacking it against my hand. “Of course my phone is destroyed.” At that, Seokjin and Youngjae hurried to check their own devices.

“Fantastic,” Seokjin sighed grumpily, but my eyes fell on Youngjae who suddenly met my eyes, a small smirk pulling his lips up. He shook his phone towards me, the smile showing his teeth. 

“Waterproof case.” As smug as physically possibly, he squared his shoulders, quickly dialed someone, and held the phone to his ear, elbow resting on his other hand, eyes to the soil. “Oh, Yongguk-ah,” he said, eyes flicking up to mine again. “Yeah, everyone is safe and sound. Send me your location.” With that, he hung up and controlled his expression again.

“Thank you, I tried to say, but it was more a breath. I couldn’t bear to be apart from Jungkook for any longer, and I reveled in the thought of everyone regrouping. We were a formidable team together, but separated, I feared we could be easily overpowered.

Jongup landed in a small clearing nearby, and we started towards him. “They’re not far west,” he said with something close to a smile, the closest I’d seen in some time on his usually so peaceful face. I hoped his smile would return soon. With that thought, I suddenly found myself a little torn. 

Soon. What was going to happen now? The hunters, Jongup, Himchan… It dawned on me that these people I’d felt wary of only a few weeks ago were suddenly the most important part of my life. They’d selflessly protected Jungkook and me, and gone above and beyond to help us. Two packs of wolves had left their homes to rush to our aid. Lives had been put at stake time and time again; I didn’t want to think about the one we’d lost. 

Hoseok pressed his face to my head, leaving a kiss against my messy, still-slightly-damp hair. “You’re upset.” He didn’t need to ask. 

I met his eyes for a second, and the concern wasn’t all I saw. I saw the Hoseok I hadn’t seen in months. The Hoseok who wasn’t constantly afraid for me, constantly elsewhere in his mind feeling for potential threats. He was  here , more present than I’d seen or felt him in so long, focused on nothing but me.I simply shook my head in reply, mustering a small smile, trying not to break down.

“Just overwhelmed.”

Taehyung howled, human at first and then suddenly more wolf as he burst into a run on four feet instead of two. Daehyun seemed to notice why he had dashed off ahead, but he stayed with the party, as close to Youngjae as he’d let him.

“They’re here,” Daehyun said to me, knowing I would be the most anxious to see them. The trees were thick here, pine needles layering on top of soil, and I almost slipped in my excitement. Hoseok steadied me, a large smile on his lips, and gripped my shoulder joyfully. He always knew when I was feeling gleeful like this, and responded in kind. I was so ready to see my brother safe and well. I knew it would be the only thing left before I could finally feel at peace. 

Our parties rejoined excitedly, the tall, young werewolf with Yongguk shifting immediately when he saw Taehyung, and they tackled and wrestled each other, Jimin joining in seconds later. Yongguk reunited with his team, hugging the other hunters tight for a brief moment, and then turned to me, but I was busy pulling my brother into a tight hug.

“Hyung… I was so scared,” Jungkook breathed, and then cleared his throat as he let me go. “Is everything okay now?”

I nodded, a relaxed smile on my face that felt foreign. “I will tell you all about it when we get home.” I turned to Yongguk then, who had walked a little closer, though made sure not to interrupt. “Good to see you,” I forced out, not usually great at pleasantries, but feeling oddly close to this particular group after what we’d been through.

Yongguk’s hand came to the base of my neck with an honest, natural smile. “Thank God you’re okay.” His brow pinched with emotion, making my heart tug a little. I retracted my lips, holding his gaze, trying not to feel overwhelmed, but luckily he didn’t let me suffer for too long, and turned to shake Hoseok’s hand. 

The wolves didn’t shift back until we were close to humanity again, and we piled into the vehicles we’d taken to get here. The journey was eerily void of conversation. Too tired, mostly, I relaxed into Hoseok’s familiar embrace every chance I got, and I slept for at least a whole day. Scenes from our walk between realms played in my dreams, and more than once I awoke with a start, panicking about it all over again. Hoseok was always there, either right beside me, wrapped around me, or no more than a few meters away, and that reminded me that everything was going to be okay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t seem real when we pulled up in front of my house. I had agonised over the possible reality that I was never going to see it again. My throat felt thick when I opened the front door, letting everyone inside, and finally crossed the threshold back into my favourite place. There were mumbles of plans around us, talk of someone going somewhere, but I didn't tune in just yet, too distracted by needing to shower and change. 

Half an hour passed while I washed up, got into fresh, comfortable clothes, and unpacked my bag in my room. Hoseok, perfectly clean and startlingly alert, sat on my bed watching me, lips sealed from how many times I’d refused to let him do it all for me. My body ached, my head throbbed, I was emotionally a little bit of a wreck, and suddenly… suddenly ravenous. 

“Food, Hyung!” Jungkook called from the living room, and I realised why my stomach had all of a sudden reminded me it exists. I practically burst from my room, and my eyes searched until they found my coffee table covered end to end with boxes and bags of take out. 

“We figured you’d be hungry,” Youngjae said with a small smile, and he held a plate out towards me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour of cramming ourselves full of every imaginable way to rapidly prepare meat, all fourteen of us reclined somewhere in my suddenly small living space. Feeling exhausted but still on a high, I relayed the events of the journey to hell and back to those who had not come. After what we’d been through, seeing Jungkook’s fingers intertwined with Jimin’s was more soothing than worrying, and having the Cambions only feet from me didn’t so much as raise a hair on my arm. Nobody had ever been so welcome in my house as the hunters, and the wolves felt more like protection than a threat these days. The story flowed out of me about how Lucifer was exiled, and how he chose to create Hell for humans. I had everyone’s attention then, as it was the only part that nobody else knew. 

“ Lucifer said all of that?” Jongup asked, incredulous. 

“It’s… not so hard to believe anymore,” Hoseok hummed from behind me, his head turning towards Jongup and messing up the back of my hair.

Jongup nodded, looking behind me at my angel and then back at me again. “And you think he was telling the truth?”

I gave a nod as well. “I do, he seemed very genuine.”

“It’s interesting, really,” Youngjae began from one of my dining room chairs, arms and legs crossed and brows furrowed in concentration. “We know the stories from religion, and you,” he beckoned between the fallen angels, “presumably got it straight from the source. But Lucifer was  there , and clearly has his own side. What’s to say the truth isn’t somewhere in the middle?”

We all seemed to silently agree with that after some contemplation. Whatever the story, I hadn’t seen a single hostile demon in days, and so it didn’t matter what happened all that time ago. All that mattered is that I was safe, and so was everyone I loved. It hadn’t really sunk in yet, but I knew that one day soon I would finally realise that everything was okay again. Even though I now knew about the horrors that lurk in the night, I wasn’t afraid anymore. With my companions looking out for me, I knew there would never be a thing we couldn’t get through together. As to whether or not we would stay together, only time would tell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there you have it folks... me trying to finally wrap something up that's been left open for literal years, but with no beta and nobody I know still reading 😂😂😂😂😂

I am open to doing another HimUp chap and another DaeJae chap if I get enough interest, but I don't think more than 1 or 2 people are still reading, so this might have to be the end T u T

If you stayed with me for this ridiculous journey, I love you!!!!


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